


Chaos Theory

by Madfizz



Category: Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton)
Genre: Angst, Fantasy, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-10-19 23:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10650462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madfizz/pseuds/Madfizz
Summary: "Imagine a world without time. Such a thing would be... chaos." Ridden with guilt and sorrow, Alice returns to Underland after 15 years only to find that a powerful being has plunged it into darkness, and that Time is the last one standing.





	1. Chapter 1

_"You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again." - Benjamin Franklin.  
_

**_Chapter 1: Kingdom of Silence_ **

Someone had once told Alice that regularly breathing in the salty air over the sea could prolong one's life. It had not proven to be true when it came to Alice's mother. As Alice gazed thoughtfully at her ship, aptly named the _Wonder_ , she took in the smell of the sea mixed with the pollution from the docks. Whoever that person was that had told her about the salt air left Alice with a feeling of betrayal. Was it a crewmember who told her? Some business fellow during her company's annual meeting? An acquaintance of some sort? She couldn't bring herself to remember. A deep sigh escaped from her slightly chapped lips as she leant over the wooden barrier, hands clasped firmly together in front of her. As much as it would ease her mind, Alice couldn't shift all the blame to that person. It was the one question that kept flooding her thoughts that stopped her from doing so: _Would Helen Kingsleigh have lived longer had she not decided to keep the Wonder and travel with Alice across the seas?_ After all, a life of excitement and danger was not the best for one's wellbeing - especially for a woman just reaching her seventies. The fact that their trading company entailed both those things left Alice with a dreadful answer, and with each passing year, she believed it more and more so to be true: Her silly ambitions had ended her mother's life early.

It had been fifteen years since Alice and her mother had started the new family business. But, it had only been three since her mother had passed away. Ever since, time had ticked ever so agonisingly on for Alice. It didn't help too that the stagnant scenery before her reminded her of their past adventures together. After establishing themselves and facilitating the expansion of the trading company, _Kingsleigh and Kingsleigh_ had knocked the Ascots clean out of the shipping market. The pair then moved back to their home country to continue their thriving business, where they would gain new trading partners, open up new shipping routes, and go on countless adventures. It was here that Alice and her mother lived and worked. But it was not here that Helen Kingsleigh died.

 _Kingsleigh and Kingsleigh. It's just Kingsleigh now_ , Alice thought bitterly as she glowered at her own ship. She was torn between leaving it all behind, and continuing on to make both her mother and father proud.

She finally shifted off the wooden barrier and pulled out her pocket watch from inside her coat. After glancing at the time, she clipped the lid shut and ran her thumb over the engraving of her own name on the case. While Alice did that, she continued her stroll around the docks, taking in the sights one last time before her and the crew departed the very next day. She soon found herself gazing up at the sky above, and was met with not the twinkle of the stars, but a sheet of darkness. Black smoke emitting from almost every chimney in London had dimmed the night sky considerably. It had been the case for the last year now, and Alice knew it would only get worse.

Alice pocketed the watch and wandered down to one of the wooden piers. Her legs were in control and steered her onwards, as her mind was lost deep in a chaotic mess. It was becoming more and more of a habit, and to be distracted while walking along wet wood was dangerous. Alice knew better, yet she allowed it to continue.

A couple of minutes had ticked by when something bright had suddenly caught Alice's eye. It had driven her stroll to a halt and drew her attention back to her surroundings. Checking around her, she finally spotted the source of the strange light. It had come from the water below. Alice got onto her hands and knees and peered down into the strangely calm waters.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Alice's reflection was not alone. Over her shoulder was a shadowy figure, staring back at her with blue ethereal eyes. With bated breath, she turned around to meet the stranger. However, there was nothing but a couple of sealed barrels behind her.

"Curious," Alice muttered to herself as she turned her sights back to the waters below her.

_Where did the figure go?_

Furrowing her brows, she leant down further, squinting to see better in the dark. She could have sworn she saw a pair of bright eyes gazing upon her. Had she frightened whatever it was away? Was there anything there to begin with? Confusion had gotten the better of her, as she unknowingly let gravity betray her. With a sharp gasp, Alice felt her hands slip out from under her. She went stumbling over the edge, splashing headfirst into the freezing water below. The sudden drop in temperature quickly spread over her body as she plunged deep into the darkness. Alice tried to swim up, but it felt as if there were hands around her ankles, dragging her down. Her body went into a panic as she started to thrash about, desperately trying to reach out and grab anything her hand came upon. It was fruitless, and soon enough, the serene world around her faded away.

**XXX**

The first of Alice's five senses to begin working again was her hearing. The sound of gears chugging away and the repetitive ticking of what she guessed to be a very large clock assaulted her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and was met with quite a sight. The ceiling she stared up at looked to be miles away from where she lay. Rib-arched in nature, the ceiling's black colours were complimented by the panes of glass scattered between each rib. An electric blue glow emanated from behind the panes, giving the grand space adequate lighting, but also a grim and lonely feeling to it. On either side of the room, large gears protruding from the obsidian floor feverishly turned. Alice took a deep breath and sat up, relieved to find that her lungs were free of water. Her captain's uniform was also dry, but she still felt the chill of the water that she had plunged into and shivered.

Immediately in front of her, a figure stirred on a throne. The large throne itself was menacing in appearance, having three small spires poke upwards from the top of its frame. It was slightly elevated above the rest of the chamber on a pedestal, and had a set of stairs lead up to it. An archway also framed the elevated area, and behind the throne, a large pane, backlit with blue lighting, loomed. It wasn't quite transparent, as Alice could see the shadows of numerous smaller gears turning behind it.

But the gothic architecture, as grand as it was, was not what was interesting about the throne room. It was the man on the throne that had held Alice's attention. Magnificently dressed in predominately black - the very same outfit Alice had last seen him in - was Time himself. He had finally opened his eyes in response to his guest getting to her feet. The pale grey of his irises had flickered into an ethereal blue, as if they were those light bulbs that had been brought to life by inventors Alice had come across recently in her travels. With a great heave from his throne, Time stood and began to descend the staircase towards her. He wore a sincere smile, as if he were greeting an old friend. Of course, the last time Alice had spoken with Time they parted on good terms, with him insisting he would never forget Alice. But who could forget the girl that almost sent Underland into a timeless oblivion?

As Time got closer, Alice couldn't help but look past the smile to see the pain in his eyes. Then, all at once, it hit her. Her heart fluttered a little. She had returned once more to the impossible! But why? Time had told her never to return, and yet, he had brought her back to Underland. Perhaps the eternal being needed her help?

"Ah, Alice. I have been waiting for you. I did not want to wake you from your slumber, as you appeared to be…" Time faltered, examining her face closely before choosing his last word. "Tired?"

For the first time in a long time, a genuine grin had spread across Alice's face. It was amusing to see that Time himself was baffled by her much older appearance, chalking it up to be because of a lack of sleep. Either that, or he had caught himself before he could remark on her older appearance. Regardless, she couldn't help but be astounded by how much time had passed since she was last here.

Alice bowed politely. "Hello again. I do beg your pardon, but I thought that Time waited for no man… or woman," she quickly added, hoping to brighten Time's spirits with a jesting remark.

"Indeed. It would be true in every sense… except for today." He stated softly. The volume of his voice was not at all what Alice had remembered. Instead, the memory of his booming voice as he called for his loyal butler Wilkins quickly filled her head. On that note, she decided to get straight down to business.

"What has happened? You seem awfully troubled. Have you brought me here for my assistance?"

"I'm afraid I have. You see, all things eventually come to an end." Time paused to swallow thickly. "Even Time myself."

"What?" The word had come out strangled.

"I have, it seems, overstayed my welcome. There is no living being left in all of Underland. Although, I cannot be certain. I am quite positive there aren't. There may be Underlandians left. Who is to know?" Time elaborated, albeit a little poorly.

"No… It - it cannot be?"

"It has been so for many years, my dear. I have been delaying the inevitable for far too long."

The familiar feeling of sorrow came like waves hitting a ship during a violent storm.

"Alice, I must ask something of you. There is no other Overlandian I trust more than you with this task. Well, you are the only Overlandian that I know of… And, you know firsthand the importance of the Chronosphere." Time gave her a pointed look as he emphasised the last word. "So, when I send you back the way you came, will you take the Chronosphere with you?"

To Alice - who was still processing what he had said earlier - the request had gone through one ear and out the other.

"You're lying. It cannot be - "

Time quickly cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Come with me. Your disbelief will dissipate much more quickly if I show you."

"S-show me?" Alice stammered - an effort due to the growing lump in her throat.

The half man-half clock started for the exit; his movements and pace were mechanical in nature. Alice trailed behind him quietly, making sure to keep the tears at bay. The bad news had dashed what brief joy she had found upon first waking in Time's castle, and now, she was beginning to feel what she very well knew to be the first of many waves of guilt. What had happened to the Hatter? To the White Queen? To the rest of her friends in her absence? While Alice painfully wondered, the pair had entered a long corridor. It was oddly shaped like the being she was following. The length of Time's stride had not changed as his enormous shoulder pads barely cleared the shapely corridor. The thought of Wilkins and the Seconds measuring out Time's frame to craft such a corridor had briefly entered her mind. Alice then realised she had not seen the mechanical butler or any of the artisans since her arrival.

"I beg your pardon for my asking, but, where are all of your Seconds? And where is that little butler of yours?" Alice inquired as they finished descending a short flight of steps. She quickly noted that this was the place she had first seen Time all those years ago.

Time immediately came to a halt, catching Alice by surprise as she had almost ran straight into him. The hidden gears that whirred away inside him had let out a sharp grinding noise. Had the clockwork man malfunctioned? Alice moved to stand before the still being to see his face. Time's eyes were downcast as they strobed briefly. The friendly smile was also long gone from his face. It was an innocent question - one to distract Alice from the guilt that was beginning to pile up - but it was one that she now regretted asking.

"Those that remain guard the gateways to my castle," he said quietly. "And Wilkins… He is gone."

Time closed his eyes for a few seconds to collect himself, before letting out a deep sigh. The strobing of his eyes had finally ceased as he continued forwards. If there was a tipping point for Alice, it was witnessing Time, a being of infinity, choke up at the mere mention of his late mechanical butler. She could practically feel her heart explode into a million tiny pieces. What on Earth had happened to them? Alice wiped away a stray tear and resumed following Time in silence, opting not to ask any more questions until at least after he had shown her whatever it was that he was leading her to.

It wasn't a far walk from the shapely corridor to where Time intended to go. He promptly stopped between two very familiar looking gates and swung around to face his guest. Alice's eyes flicked between the two locked gates, then up to the signs above them.

"Underlandians Living and Underlandians Deceased? But…" Alice trailed off as she approached the room of the Living. She placed two hands upon the rusted metal bars and gazed out into the endless room. What she had remembered all those years ago, was a beautiful golden sunlight highlighting the infinite number of clouds that populated the vast area. What Alice saw instead, was complete darkness. The usual ticking of millions of pocket watches was also absent. Underlandians Living was completely silent.

Alice tore her gaze away to examine the room opposite. She didn't have to look for very long, and finally found her voice. "The rooms are exactly the same."

Time gave a grim nod as he peered between the bars of the Underlandians Deceased gate. Memories of all those years ago, when he strode into the room and noticed the first hint of the dark void that would eventually fill it entirely, flooded Time's mind briefly.

"Please, won't you tell me what happened?" Alice found herself begging. The situation had finally sunk in. Time's distressing telling of the fate of Underland was true.

"Chaos has returned to Underland."

"Chaos? Returned?"

"Yes. She has come back to claim what she believes is rightfully hers," explained Time. Alice's dumbfounded expression had caused his eyebrows to shoot up. "You do not know who Chaos is?"

"Well, I've only just recently found out that Chaos is in fact a she. That's about all, I'm afraid," Alice said as she released her grip from the bars. Time's head twitched slightly as the neglected gates made a loud creak.

"Oh. Of course. Come, we will head to my sitting room and I will explain properly. Your legs must be getting…" he furrowed his brows for a moment. "Sore?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at Time as he offered her another smile and beckoned for her to follow. Now she was puzzled. Was he genuinely confused about her aged appearance? She made a mental note to ask him later.

They walked together in silence for a few minutes, with Time leading her through the main section of the castle. The quiet had allowed for Alice to take the time to observe her surroundings. Peering out at the seemingly endless interior of the grim castle, Alice could see the Grand Clock between the many staircases, walkways, and clockwork. Its golden aura was surrounded by wisps of blue electricity as it ticked away. She suddenly found it very difficult to push out of her mind how it still ticked on regardless of whether Underland still existed or not. Alice thought of it like a beating heart - except now there was no blood flowing through it.

They had exited the main area of the castle and now entered a small corridor, which had open doorways leading to rooms on each side. As Alice followed, she found herself drifting towards one of the narrow arches. A warm and fuzzy feeling came over her as she stopped in front of the doorway. The room inside was stark white, and looked as if it spanned infinitely outwards. Before she could even make one step inside, she felt a yank at her wrist. Time had pulled her away from the strange room, and was quick to put himself between her and the doorway.

"You cannot go in there."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Alice said, hesitantly taking a couple of steps away from Time and the mysterious room. "It - it seemed so… inviting?"

 _What a strange sensation,_ Alice thought to herself. She hadn't felt the way she did while being in front of that room in years.

Time gave a nonchalant wave of his hand, "Do not worry yourself, it was to be expected. I call this the Room of Remembrance. If you or any other Underling were to step inside, you would be lost deep within your own pleasant memories. Only I can pass through unaffected. In fact, I come here often to meditate, or to remember something… or someone that I have forgotten."

When he finished his explanation, he held out a hand, prompting Alice to continue onwards. Alice took one last lingering look at the room, then started forwards.

Time led her into the sitting room; its decor the exact same as what it was the last time Alice had visited. Nevertheless, it was still the most welcoming room in the whole castle. Offering Alice the brown leather seat opposite his tall armchair, Time plonked himself down and leant forwards. Alice did the same - glad to have finally been seated. If she was to receive any more bad news today, she certainly didn't want to be on her feet for it.

"So," Alice began. "Tell me everything."

Time took a deep breath in. Alice could hear the odd click of gears from inside the mechanical man speed up slightly.

"Time marches forwards, so I shall start at the beginning and go from there."

Time dove into his explanation, detailing a being - like himself - who used to rule over a void of infinitude many millennia ago. Her name was Chaos. When the concept of Time came to, it spawned the beginning of Underland, and it was now both their duties to cultivate and watch over this new world that had formed. Chaos to create, and Time to ensure the flow of existence. For a while, the two ethereal beings got along well, and were even friends. But one day, in the early times of Underland, Chaos and Time were strolling around the young Tulgey Woods. Upon witnessing a white rose bloom, Chaos had snapped. The rose was perfectly symmetrical, and did not have a single blemish on it. With this proof, she claimed that there was too much order, and not enough chaos. Time had assured her that the balance was fine, but she would have none of it. Instead, she went on a rampage, destroying the very people and lands she helped craft. Wanting to placate her, Time confronted Chaos in her own pocket dimension - similar to his with the castle. Things took a turn for the worst, and Time found himself faced with a difficult choice: Stop his friend, or allow Underland to fall into complete chaos. Choosing the former, Time had managed to trap Chaos inside her own pocket dimension. There, she would live out a paradox in an abyss.

"How could she have escaped the paradox?" Alice inquired once Time had finished his tale.

"Now that I think of it, perhaps when you returned the Chronosphere to the Grand Clock and caused a reset, it undid that paradox as well as the one created by my former dearest."

Ah, the Red Queen. Alice idly wondered what Iracebeth had been up to after she left Underland. Had she behaved? Had she turned her life around after rekindling her relationship with her sister, the White Queen? Perhaps the Red Queen didn't get the chance if Chaos had taken Underland immediately after undoing the paradox that had caused Underland to rust over. It was strange, but thinking of her brought back the empty pit in Alice's chest.

"And how are you so certain that she will rule once again?" asked Alice.

Time stood up from his chair and went over to his nearby desk. From inside one of the drawers fixated on the wall above the desk, he pulled out a very decrepit looking scroll. Gingerly, he opened it and spread it out onto the wood. Alice hopped up to stand beside Time and examine what he had produced.

"It's a prophetic scroll!" Alice gasped. Unlike the Oraculum - that had foretold her deadly fight with the Jabberwocky - this one held a more ominous prophecy. A cloaked figure was centred on the paper, holding what appeared to be a glowing orb. Beside the person, Time stood, looking quite crestfallen indeed.

Time pointed to the figure. "The cloaked being there is Chaos. As you can see, she's holding the Chronosphere."

Alice committed the image to memory just as Time rolled up the scroll and stuffed it back into the draw it came from. She noticed Time's features relax a little as he put it away and sat back in his chair. She, however, remained standing.

"How long did you know about this scroll?" Alice suddenly asked. Her jaw involuntarily tightened at the thought of Time knowing this whole time that Underland and its occupants were doomed.

"Not long. Immediately after you left Underland, the White Queen requested an audience with me. She brought the scroll to me and we spoke of the Oraculum, and of the… Oracle that keeps it." Time admitted.

"Absolem?" Alice's brows lifted slightly, curious of his sudden pause.

"Yes, that insolent, insubordinate…" Time, a little too harshly, pulled out a tiny book and flicked through the pages. Finding what he was looking for, he clamped the book shut and finished his tangent. "Impudent Underling."

Alice had to stifle a chuckle for the sake of the situation. Of course the wise butterfly would infuriate Time beyond belief. Absolem would often talk in riddles and be notoriously ambiguous - something that the impatient Time would have zero tolerance for. In addition to that, the mere fact that he was the keeper of a scroll detailing every day that ever was in Underland undermined all of Time's efforts and hard work.

"As you know, I do not dabble directly in the affairs of Underland, and as such, I do not come up in their compendium. However, the White Queen explained to me that this special scroll - separate to the Oraculum - was kept for a millennia by that irritable butterfly. She said that this particular prophecy had puzzled him and anyone else who gazed upon it. Understandable. They are, of course, underlings." Time shrugged off Alice's harsh stare, and continued. "Not knowing who was depicted in the scroll, nor when this event was to occur, the Oracle had given it to the White Queen in the hopes of deciphering it. She would prove to be no different to anyone else who examined the scroll. However, that was until she saw me after you almost destroyed Underland."

"I see," Alice said, ignoring that last part. "So she remembered it and brought it to you. What happened after that?"

"Once I had realised what the scroll foretold, I sent the White Queen away and locked the gateways that granted access to my domain. I did it in the hopes of delaying the future. But it seems that the future can no longer wait. Chaos has taken Underland from me, and waits patiently for my surrender," Time replied miserably.

Alice hummed; her mind was already racing in an attempt to come up with a solution, but only more questions sprung forth.

"I have answered your questions. Will you now answer the one I asked?"

"Hmm? Your question?" Alice felt her face flush - mostly because she had not heard his question at all, but also because of the amount of questions she had barraged him with, and of the many more to follow.

"Yes. Will you help me by taking the Chronosphere and leaving Underland for good?" asked Time.

Alice's eyes almost popped out of her head. She quickly turned her back to him and put some distance between the two of them. "This place will cease to exist if I do so."

"Precisely."

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You ask too much of me, sir. I couldn't possibly do that."

"What?" Time blinked, straightening in his chair as Alice spun back around to face him.

"You're asking me to lock the door to Underland, turn the key, and throw it away!" Alice exclaimed, now shaking. She hastily took her seat opposite Time, in fear of her legs giving out from under her. Was he really just going to give up that easily? Alice still held onto believing in six impossible things before breakfast time, but even she had difficulty swallowing the idea that Time himself was willing to end.

"That would be the exact analogy for what taking the Chronosphere entails for you. For me, the proceeding events may be quite familiar to you."

"Y-you're asking me to kill you and everyone here!" Alice, now exasperated, had dropped the euphemisms. If being blunt wouldn't get through to him, then she didn't know what would.

"Time myself cannot be killed. Only stopped. Indefinitely. As for the Underlandians…" Time sighed heavily. It was clear he had wrestled with himself over the consequences of his decision for some time now - and had lost the moral battle. "It is better this way."

"And you're okay with that? With just… ending their existence?"

Time inclined his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Alice Kingsleigh, the kindergartener who also happened to be his last hope, was still as stubborn and as headstrong as when he first met her. How could she not see that he was just trying to do what was best for the Underlings? "No, my dear. But I imagine it would be far better than what is happening right now."

"How can you say that? You don't even know if Underland is truly lost!" Alice cried, leaping up to her feet. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she stormed across the room to tower over him. "You completely shut yourself off from Underland, and have absolutely no idea what has happened since then. You - you turned your back on everyone! There could still be Underlandians, perhaps fighting back against this Chaos being? Perhaps waiting for a miracle? Why should we deny them that? Why are you the one to determine whether Underland is beyond saving or not?"

 _Coward,_ was the only thought left inside Alice's head. She had blurted out almost all of her thoughts, but even in that heated moment, she couldn't bring herself to say the last word.

Taken aback by her outburst, Time sunk deep in his armchair and averted the daggers that were her eyes. He opened his mouth to retort, but found that the words wouldn't come. Time hated to admit it, but she did have a point. After a moment of grumbling, he finally locked eyes with her. "I must confess: I have missed your kindergartener mind," he said sheepishly.

Before Alice could get a word in, Time elaborated. "You are correct. I do not know what has happened to Underland. I cannot tell from inside my castle. I have assumed the worst, but only because I know Chaos. I know what she is capable of. She is not a woman to be trifled with."

"You beat her once. Surely you can do it again?"

Time shook his head, holding a gloomy expression. "I barely escaped with my life by tricking her! She will not be fooled by me again."

"What if we can talk to her then? No tricks. You two were meant to co-exist as Order and Chaos, after all," Alice said. She had to take a couple of steps back as Time stood from his armchair and began pacing in front of her.

"She cannot be reasoned with. Her time spent in the paradox I created can have only made her… worse."

"You can't think like that."

"As soon as she escaped, she made me irrelevant!" exclaimed Time, pausing to wheel around and face her.

"Maybe she's just trying to grab your attention? You did lock yourself away before anything even happened," Alice offered, her voice filling with hope. "In this castle, you're blind."

Time laughed. "Ah. I don't need the Chronosphere to see where this is headed. You want me to leave the castle," he huffed, unimpressed. "It is a trap, waiting to be sprung."

 _Took him long enough!_ Alice thought as she fought the urge to bury her face in her hands. She knew it would be an effort to convince him, but this was becoming a bit ridiculous.

"The way I see it, that prophecy was not nearly as violent as what mine was. Perhaps it foretells an agreement that you are not too happy about. Whatever it is, it's not worth sacrificing Underland - no matter its current state. Please, at the very least, let us go to Underland," Alice pleaded.

Time's bushy moustache twitched slightly as he resumed pacing. That strange pang in his chest had come back - and it wasn't because of the heart clock that resided there. He had the exact same feeling when he first thought of his plan a couple of years ago. However, he kept it at bay with reasoning - that of which he told himself every day since: there wasn't any other option. So, what was Alice seeing that he was not? As Time mulled over it, Alice found her eyes wandering around the room. Her gaze landed on the wooden mantelpiece above the quietly burning flames. She spotted a pocket watch alone on the surface and strolled over to it. Alice's breath hitched briefly in her throat as she got closer. It wasn't ticking. She read the inscription and cracked a smile. Fishing out her own pocket watch from her coat, she held it close to her father's. It was uncanny how alike the two were, as Alice didn't intend for it when she had her watch made. The exception of course, was the engravings and colour. His was silver; hers was gold.

"You still have it," Alice mused as she heard Time's footsteps approaching. He leaned over her shoulder to get a better look at the two instruments.

"Ah, yes. The fallen soldier. I thought about fixing it, but it has had its time and is well-deserving of rest." Time's features softened as he remembered when Alice had given it to him. No one had ever given him a gift before her, so of course he was going to treasure it. It was too meaningful to keep in his cabinet of treasures, so, in full view, he kept it on the mantelpiece. The pocket watch also served as a reminder: _The only thing worth doing, is what we do for others_. Those words still rung in Time's mind years after Alice had left. He even considered them when he decided on having Alice remove the Chronosphere from Underland. But now, upon meeting Alice's fierce resistance, Time wasn't so sure if he was interpreting those words correctly.

Studying the watch Alice held, he observed the flames from the fireplace dancing erratically on the reflection of the metal casing. It reminded him of all those years ago, when Alice risked tearing Underland asunder to save her dear friend. In that moment, he realised Alice was that burning flame: refusing to fade away, even in the darkest of times. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt then to give her a chance.

Time looked on as Alice tucked her own watch back into her coat pocket. He then took one last lingering glance at his only gift on the mantelpiece and came to a decision.

"Alright. I will try your way and go to Underland. But, only on one condition," Time said as he held up a finger for emphasis.

"And what would that be?"

"You will stay here."


	2. Throne of Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time ventures out into Underland, unaware that Alice has followed him...

_"Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man." - Henry Adams._

_**Chapter 2: Throne of Chaos** _

Alice felt her heart plunge down past her stomach. He wanted her to stay here? She couldn't believe it. She had a hold on the smallest of chances to see her friends, and it was immediately wrenched from her grasp.

"What! Why?"

"If it is indeed a trap and I fail, then I will still have you to take the Chronosphere away," Time explained. He then promptly turned on his heel and left the cosy sitting room. Alice started after him, struggling to keep pace with his long strides. Where had this newfound determination come from? Was it a product of hope? Or had he resigned himself to the fact that he was a dead man walking - regardless of what he did? The sudden shift in lighting, from warm orange to deep blue, smacked her out of her thoughts and sent a shiver right down her spine.

"Can't we discuss this for just a moment?"

Time allowed her to catch up as he walked. "A moment can be fleeting, or can be everlasting. Which will it be?"

Alice ignored the waggling eyebrows that accompanied the philosophical question. "What if there are people still alive? What will you do then?"

He swallowed thickly before replying. "I will confront Chaos, as you suggested. I will do what I can, but… I cannot make any promises."

"You don't have to do this alone," Alice offered. "Please, let me help you."

"Your help is not needed. I have this under control." Time absently brought up a hand to adjust the collar around his neck. It appeared as if his newfound confidence was already beginning to waver.

"Then why do you seem afraid?" Alice's question drove the clockwork man's rhythmic pace to a halt. His gaze wandered over the interior architecture, as if taking in the mesmerising sight with a pair of fresh eyes. Alice knew better though; he was basking in his castle's magnificence for the last time.

"Without fear, we do not find the courage needed to do what is right," Time said. He then paused, observing Alice's look of surprise with slight amusement. Nuggets of wisdom came more often to him than she evidently thought. "If I do not succeed today, I will take solace in the fact that you will do the right thing for Underland. Because it will not just be the present that will be lost. If Chaos were to take charge of the Grand Clock and the Chronosphere, then all that was and ever shall be, will be nothing but a nightmare."

Torn, Alice stopped by an archway to mull over his daunting words. She didn't know if she could stomach putting the poor people of Underland out of their misery. And even if she managed, how would she ever be able to live with herself, knowing that she had ended so many lives?

Then there was the contrary. If she did not act, then what hell would she be condemning Underland to?

Oblivious to Alice's internal struggle, Time continued ahead, and came to one of the bigger intersections in his maze of a castle. He took a right, disappearing from Alice's sight. Realising this, she broke into a light jog to catch up.

"Wait!" Alice called, now panting slightly. She found Time stopped at the top of a small staircase. He spun around to look down at Alice. As she ascended the stairs to speak, Time became framed by an enormous heart-shaped archway that was at the end of the walkway behind him. Alice faltered as she took in the sight. At the base of the archway was a large double door. Divided glass panes filled in the rest of the heart, and gave no hint as to what was behind the closed doors. All Alice could discern was that it was pitch dark inside. It was almost the same shade as the tall black spires that populated the empty spaces over the sides of the walkway railings. With this terrifying image, it wasn't hard for Alice to guess who used to emerge from its dark depths.

"Yes?" Time replied, his moustache twitching slightly. He was now making an effort not to grow impatient from her delays.

Alice finally managed to draw her eyes away from the archway. "You will find yourself in the Outlands if you go through that grandfather clock."

"It is not there anymore."

"Oh. So where is it?"

Time scratched the clean-shaven part of his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely certain. When all was forgiven between the two sisters, Iracebeth's belongings were given away - including the grandfather clock."

"That means you could end up anywhere in Underland," Alice noted.

Time shrugged it off. "I see no alternative. Chaos will be expecting me to go through the White Queen's grandfather clock, as I assume she saw it being used before I locked it."

Before Time could proceed any further, Alice raced up the rest of the stairs and planted herself firmly between him and the heart-shaped entrance. He frowned at her defiant stance, but waited patiently for her to speak.

"I must insist that I come with you." It sounded more like a desperate plea than a command. "If my friends are in trouble, then I simply cannot stand by and do nothing."

"But you won't be doing nothing. You will be taking the Chronosphere out of Underland. Now, there will be no more wasting me. You will stay here, and that is final," Time said firmly. He slipped past her and pushed the doors open, disappearing inside the dark room.

Heading in after him, Alice's eyes immediately locked onto the broken slivers of light piercing through the darkness. She followed the light to its source, which was a glass door in the middle of the room. Dead vines squeezed up against the glass, constricting the door from the other side. A large pendulum suddenly swung a few metres in front of it, startling Alice because of how quiet it was.

Alice followed Time closely as he confidently walked through the path of the pendulum. As the pair got closer to the door, Alice became aware that she and Time were not the only ones in the room. From behind the cover of darkness, pairs of red eyes sparked to life. The sound of gears and coils awakening from prolonged inactivity echoed loudly as two Minutes came into view. They looked down expectantly at Time as he saluted them.

"I'm leaving the castle. Do not let anyone in or out that is not me, do you understand?"

They hissed a bout of steam in reply, and Alice wasn't sure if she was to interpret it as a yes or a protest.

Satisfied with the gatekeepers' responses, Time then moved past them and clicked his fingers. The thick vines outside slowly slid away, releasing their grip on the glass door.

"If I do not return in an hour's time, take the Chronosphere to the throne room. There, a pool of water will be waiting. Swim downwards until you break the surface. If you do that, you should arrive back in your world," Time instructed to Alice. He then leant in close and grasped her hand with both of his. Wearing his best smile, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you kindly for doing this, Alice. If I do not see you again, then this is goodbye."

Unable to reply, Alice looked away. She still didn't know if she could do it. Underland was her home away from home. Underland was where she had made the truest of friends. Underland was where she had learnt the most valuable of lessons: Nothing was impossible.

Giving a nod of farewell to his Minutes, he let go of Alice and tenderly pushed open the door. Alice got as close as she could without provoking the Minutes and saw the room outside. As she correctly assumed, they were inside a grandfather clock. The clock was at the centre of a small decrepit room full of cobwebs and demolished wooden furniture. A door off its hinges laid against the wall they faced, leaving a doorway that revealed - or rather, what didn't reveal - what was outside.

Alice could see nothing but a veil of dark fog.

Stepping out into room, Time took one last look at Alice. He raised a hand in farewell before heading into the fog. Alice expected it to swallow him whole, but, as he walked, it began to diverge around him as if he were a lone candle in the night. Soon enough, Time disappeared from view, and her mind was made up.

_No. This isn't right. I can't let him go alone, and I can't turn my back on my friends and Underland!_

Before Alice could make one step towards the glass door, the two Minutes jumped in front of her. Eyeing the pendulum that made another arc behind them, she craned her neck to up to address the tinker-guards.

"Listen, I understand what he said to me. But I won't abandon my friends again! Even if I can't save them, at least let me see them one last time before I do away with this place," Alice pleaded. Taking advantage of their split-second pause, she made a break for it through the gap between the pair. At a deliberate pace, Alice passed the spot where the pendulum was due to make another arc. The Minutes quickly gained on her - but she had anticipated that. Alice threw a look over her shoulder to see the pendulum swing down, smashing into the amalgamation of Seconds. They both exploded on impact, sending a few dozen Seconds flying helplessly into the air. The loud clangs and bangs of broken sprockets and metal thundered around Alice as she stopped in front of the door.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, looking back to the dazed Seconds. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and stepped through. A putrid smell immediately assaulted her nostrils as she found herself in the dusty room. Eager to put distance between herself and the odour, she headed into the fog. She gave one last cursory glance back at the cottage she had exited, but found it obscured by the fog. Strangely, it did not greet Alice as it did with Time, and refused to split around her.

Alice had only walked a few paces before she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It felt as if there were a dozen eyes gazing upon her, and yet, no matter where she looked, there wasn't a soul to be seen.

"Time?" Alice called out into the thick fog, hoping he was the strange presence. She felt silly saying his name, but he was the personification of time itself, and had given her no other name to go by.

 _Better_ _than_ _Tick_ - _Tock_ , Alice thought as the large-domed woman popped into her head briefly. Would she see her here? She didn't know whether she hoped not, or hoped so. The conflicting thought was enough to keep her distracted for a few minutes before uneasiness settled back in.

"Time!" Alice repeated. She came to a halt beside a large rock, straining her ears in the hopes of at least catching the low clicking of the small gears within the mechanical man.

Nothing.

Alice took a deep breath. The tiny cloud she had exhaled was quickly swallowed whole by the fog. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and looked over her shoulder. There was no way she was going to find the grandfather clock again if she had to run. The path she took had her zig-zagging around rough terrain. She then peered ahead into the fog, ignoring the constricting sensation in her chest. Where was she? Was it day? Was it night? Alice couldn't tell; it seemed as if Underland was stuck in a timeless in-between.

For a heart-stopping moment, a dark shape moved from the corner of Alice's eye.

 _Please be Time_ , she pleaded internally. Inching her head ever so slightly to get a better look, she caught another shadow move like lightning just outside her field of vision. Were these figures the pairs of eyes she felt watching her every move? A dull pain began to nag at her temples, but fear had seized her muscles - refusing the luxury to gently massage it away. Her breaths became more erratic as another shape formed ahead of her. The outline became more distinguishable, and a wave of relief washed over Alice. There was no one else she knew that wore such a ridiculously large top hat.

"Hatter! Hatter, it's me! Alice!" she exclaimed, resuming her brisk walk to catch up to him. But the closer she got, the farther he seemed to be. She broke out into a run, charging blindly into the unknown to chase a man she hadn't seen in years. Icy specks in the air felt as if they were knives cutting thin lines on her skin. But Alice would not slow. Even as his shadow quickly became a small dark blemish amongst the grey, she kept running. It was only when he was devoured completely by the fog did she stop.

He was gone. An apparition that vanished into thin air. As Alice caught her breath, her mind began to whir. Was she going mad? Seeing what she so wished to be right in front of her?

 _But you would have to be half-mad to dream me up_. Hatter's voice sounded as if he were right next to her, and echoed through the fog. But how could that be possible? Hatter, her truest friend, was not with her.

 _I left him to suffer whatever pain Chaos has inflicted on Underland_ , Alice found herself thinking miserably.

 _You could stay…_ he whispered again into her ear. Alice winced, clutching her temples. Wasn't it enough that her heart was aching? She didn't need this as well.

"Twice. I could have stayed twice," she groaned to the fog.

 _Stop it_ , Alice scolded herself. _Who are you even speaking to?_

Voices that don't have mouths are not to be answered, nor to be trusted. It was helpful advice for battling loneliness at sea, according to her mother.

_Mother…_

What would she would say about Underland? Even though they had grown close since starting their business, Alice had not breathed a single word to her about it. The only time she had come close was in the asylum. It was one of the many regrets Alice had, but it paled in comparison to the remorse she felt…

_Focus, Alice!_

For three years, Alice refused to let herself think too much about Helen. On bad days, she couldn't even bear the word 'mother'. So why was today different? Why were the walls that she had so meticulously crafted in her mind crumbling down? Allowing unwanted thoughts to run rife? Instead of pursuing that burning question, she found herself wondering the silliest thing: what if she could wrench back the hands of the Grand Clock, and prevent herself from ever leaving Underland? By extension, she would be preventing herself from burdening her mother with her silly dreams. Then, Helen Kingsleigh would have no reason to step foot on the Wonder and -

Overwhelmed, she stopped herself before her mind became a prison again. What had gotten into her? She was here to save Underland after all - not to dwell on the past.

After what seemed like a lifetime of walking, Alice had come to a scorched woodland area. She knew it to be the Tulgey woods, as it never truly recovered from the Jabberwocky's wrath. It was a depressing sight, but a welcome one nonetheless. The change in scenery meant Alice could dismiss the shapes in the fog to be bare trees and the like. It also gave her hope. Her friends would most likely be holed up in the March Hare's home, which was a windmill hidden away deep in the woods. Well, it was only hidden when the woods actually had trees to provide cover.

The trees began to thin out, and soon enough, Alice recognised the barren wasteland before her. Thackery's windmill - which was now missing its blades - jutted out like a sore thumb. Alice immediately studied the building. Through its broken windows, there was no sign of a fire burning or of any movement. There wasn't even a squeak of wooden floorboards. Her eyes then fell to the long table that was set out in front of the mill. Bearing what was once considered food for tea-time, it looked as if the gang's tea-party had ended too soon. Half-eaten sweets, broken china, and spilled tea still remained on the table. Time had its - or his, should Alice say - way with the food laid out, indicating that her friends were definitely not here. The only proof of their existence were their empty chairs at an empty table.

Alice went over to the front door and rapped on the wood. When there was no answer, she pressed her ear up against the door and held her breath, worried that even the slightest of noise would be drowned out.

"Where could you all be?" Alice closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the door. They had to be somewhere. But where? Marmoreal castle? Witzend?

_Or perhaps they're… No._

Fighting back tears, she gave the table behind her a second look. With her wobbly knees, the chairs suddenly looked quite welcoming. She hurried over and took a seat. Her gaze wandered around the empty table, then settled on the dirty napkin in front of her. She felt raw all over. Her jaw began to tremble uncontrollably. The chair then creaked slightly as Alice leant forwards, digging her elbows into the table and burying her now tear-stained face in her hands. How could she ever forgive herself for not being here for her friends in their time of need? How could her friends ever forgive her? The guilt of abandoning them twisted and teared through her soul, and each empty chair was another rip.

Her sobs echoed around the clearing; it was a perfect invitation for unwelcome company. But Alice was not concerned with that. Instead, dreadful thoughts of how they could have been chased from this very table and hunted one by one entered her mind. Their cries, their pleas, their faces… It was all too much.

Alice finally managed to pull her hands away from her face. Despite the headache that began to build up again, she shook her head.

 _No, I mustn't think like this. They're somewhere else. They have to be_ , Alice told herself repeatedly. It was only until she felt a little bit better did she cast her mind towards planning her next move. As Alice thought about her options, she began to fiddle with a rock-hard scone, rotted to its very core.

A rustle of a bush nearby had Alice nearly jump out of her skin. Slowly, she put the scone down and turned in her seat towards the source of the noise. Her eyes honed in on a single thorny bush just at the edge of the tree line. It shook again, and Alice quickly hopped up to face it.

Not surprisingly, someone had indeed heard her crying.

Refusing to let whatever was in the bush escape her sights, Alice let her hand wander behind her, grasping for any sort of solid object on the table for defence. The sound of scratching pierced through the eerie silence, and Alice tensed once she had a hold of something. Suddenly, a blur of white and blue shot out from behind the bush. Alice let out a gasp as she caught a glimpse at what had just bolted in the opposite direction.

_Was that a rabbit? Could it be..?_

Even though every inch of her being screamed at her not to, Alice set off running again. That couldn't have been part of her imagination. It was definitely something real, and she was determined to catch up to it. But why was it running away from her? Did it think she was a threat? Alice puzzled over it as she gave chase, leaping over stray roots and ducking under low-hanging branches. The creature, however, was undeterred by the obstacles its pursuer was desperately trying to avoid.

It became more and more difficult to keep up, and Alice felt herself slowing down - much to her frustration. She was definitely going to lose sight of it at this rate. As if reading her thoughts, the creature suddenly paused beside a fallen tree. For a brief moment, it looked horribly confused. Was it over why it had stopped? That certainly had Alice confused. As she got closer, she felt the whole world come to a grinding stop.

Dressed in what was once an immaculate blue petticoat - complete with a broken pocket-watch dangling at the hip - stood McTwisp. But that was not what Alice was perturbed by. The white rabbit looked as if he had all colour drained from him. His face was also concealed with a black mask that was perfectly crafted to resemble his likeness. The extensive detail made it seem as if black liquid was poured onto the poor rabbit's face and solidified to form the mask.

"McTwisp! It's me, Alice! Let me help you!" Alice wheezed, slowing down to a light jog.

His ears pricked up. As he locked eyes with her, the mask he wore began to bubble, losing its fitted shape and detail. It slowly morphed into a frowning face, causing Alice to stop dead in her tracks.

"McTwisp? Oh dear…"

The rabbit flung his hands over the mask, withering in pain. It made Alice ill to think that perhaps her other friends were in the exact state that he was in.

Dead twigs crunched under Alice's boots as she took a few tentative steps towards him. The small sounds were enough to let fear overcome pain. A trembling McTwisp took off once more. Again, why was he running? Of course, he was always a little nervous, but surely he recognised Alice when he saw her? She noticed his decrease in speed as he checked over his shoulder, and had a realisation.

He was deliberately keeping in her sights, meaning that he was leading her somewhere!

It was like all those years ago, when he first led her down the rabbit hole to Underland. Except this time, Alice had the feeling that something more dreadful than a fall lay in wait for her.

Panting hard, Alice stopped beside a tree to catch her breath. Her eyes wandered ahead of her, and through the last couple of trees she spotted a rundown cottage. She stepped out into the clearing, and more remnants of civilisation came into view. McTwisp had led her to the outskirts of Witzend! However, it seemed as if the town was forever destined to be in ruins. It was allowed to be rebuilt after the fall of the Red Queen, but Chaos had made quick work of the townspeople's efforts, much to Alice's dismay.

 _And all the while, Time hid away in his castle and…_ Alice couldn't finish the train of thought. Clenching her fists tightly at her sides, she vowed to remind Time that if anyone could have prevented this, it was him.

Alice wandered through the town, taking in the desolation with a heavy heart. She would be hard-pressed to find any sign of life here, but kept an eye and an ear out nonetheless. After a few minutes, Alice found herself in the town square, where nature had run rampant. A tangle of thick vines wrapped themselves around the broken statue at the centre, and seemed to originate farther down the main street, where what was left of a magnificent castle stood. She vividly remembered watching a panicked King and Queen emerge from its depths to find their daughter at the foot of the statue; her head swelling immensely. If Chaos was not in the Red or White Queen's castle, then she was sure to be in there. Conquerors always locked themselves away - hidden safely behind stone walls from the people they had enslaved. Before she could traverse those walls, however, Alice needed to find her friends. To do that, she would have to attempt to communicate with McTwisp again.

 _But where did he go?_ Alice thought with a panic. She had been too busy reminiscing to notice she had lost sight of the rabbit. She picked up her pace as her eyes scanned her surroundings frantically. Even the faint patter of feet would put her at ease.

The buildings began to thin out, and Alice's heart pounded loudly inside her chest. She had searched everywhere. She can't have lost him, not when she was this close to finding out if her friends were alright.

A flash of white suddenly tore down one of the smaller cobbled streets.

Alice let out a sigh of relief. "There you are. Maybe you can lead me to the others…"

McTwisp made his way over to a small cottage bordering the edge of the woods. The untamed plants that covered most of its stone walls made it clear that mother nature had claimed this place a long time ago. As Alice followed, she spotted a person, dressed in a dark embroidered cloak, crouched low in the garden out front of the cottage.

 _Is that a villager?_ Alice wondered, trying to see whether it was shadows or the sinister black mask that obscured the individual's face. The person dressed like no villager Alice ever saw during her visits to Underland. The embroidery on the cloak was too intricate to suggest otherwise. It looked as if the mysterious individual had been struck by multiple bolts of lightning, and the cloak had sucked the electricity into its fabric, freezing it permanently in a vibrant gold.

A pale hand emerged from under the cloak as McTwisp neared, and the person stroked the rabbit's face fondly. They then withdrew their hand and mumbled something Alice couldn't quite hear. The white rabbit quickly scurried away, but Alice was no longer interested in following him. She was transfixed by the cloaked person, who was now gliding their hand over a bunch of roses. They hovered over one in particular, and plucked it from the ground. Holding it high in the air, they squinted at its petals. As they conducted their examination, their hood fell away slightly, and Alice managed to catch a glimpse of their face.

"Mother?" Alice blurted out. A hand quickly flew to her mouth; she did not mean to announce herself. The woman did not seem to be startled as she straightened her back and turned her head to regard Alice. Now that she was facing Alice, she took in the woman's visage properly.

It was not Helen Kingsleigh.

Disappointment was immediately washed away with embarrassment, and Alice scolded herself for being so silly.

"I'm terribly sorry, I thought you were someone else," Alice said. Her brows furrowed when it dawned on her that the woman did not have a strange black mask on.

The woman finally stood, and crumbs of dirt fell away from her bare feet and the hem of her black dress. As she stepped out of the garden, she removed her hood, revealing a very messy head of long grey curls. With a face as pale as the moon, her eyes were sunken, and her cheeks hollow. If it weren't for her liveliness, Alice would have mistaken her for a corpse.

The gold in the woman's irises shone as they studied Alice. "And who might you be?"

Was this Chaos? If so, Alice was slightly taken aback by her relaxed appearance. She was also surprised to find her in a garden of all places.

"My name is Alice. I'm not from here."

Something shifted in the woman's gaze. Alice couldn't place what exactly, but it was enough to remind herself to be cautious.

"I noticed," The stranger said, now eyeing her captain's uniform. Admittedly, it was quite dull compared to the colourful garbs the Underlandians usually wore.

She then offered Alice a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "So, what brings you here, Alice?"

"To be completely honest with you, I'm not quite sure myself. You see, on random, yet rare occurrences, I find myself in this wonderful place. How I get here is beyond my comprehension. I fell down a rabbit hole - twice, I think - and ended up in Underland. Another time, I passed through a looking glass to get here. Today, I awoke in this place after being pulled under the ocean's currents," Alice explained innocently.

"Fascinating. I'm sure you have caused quite the disruption here, Alice," the woman remarked, clasping her hands behind her back. Her shoulders twitched - as if she were fiddling with something.

"I suppose so. My last two visits were quite eventful," Alice admitted. She noticed the woman's pupils begin to dilate, but instead of stopping, the black continued outwards, consuming the gold of her irises.

"Pardon my ignorance, but are you Chaos?"

"I am."

"And you rule Underland?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Chaos raised her eyebrows slightly at Alice's bluntness. However, she obliged her. "Chaos is the law of nature; for too long, order has ruled."

 _I wouldn't go as far as to say 'ruled'_ , Alice thought to herself. She figured it was best to keep it private, as she did not want to provoke Chaos.

"I thought things were quite mad here before you came."

"To you, perhaps. But you are merely an outsider looking in. Who is to say that our worlds are the same in that regard?" Chaos proposed, her eyes now regaining their golden colour.

"A crazed Queen with quite a temper ruled before I - " Alice stopped herself. Chaos tilted her head at her pause.

"Before you what?"

"B-before I left Underland. Sorry, the past is… not quite done with me yet," Alice lied. Chaos hummed, but seemingly bought the fib.

"Come closer," Chaos suddenly said, finally withdrawing a hand from behind her back. Between her bony finger and thumb, Chaos twirled what appeared to be a very sick rose. "I'd like to show you this."

Alice didn't move.

"Don't be shy now," Chaos beckoned in a sickly sweet voice. What else could Alice do? With reluctance, she stepped forwards, coming close enough to see the faint wrinkles that marked her face.

Chaos held the rose out for her. "Tell me what you see."

"Um… It's missing most of its petals. The rest are decaying. And… there are a couple of thorns."

_The rest of the roses in the garden don't look like this…_

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Alice frowned. "It's dying."

"Nature is meant to be in disarray. Look around you; everything is as it should be: left to its own devices."

"Some things should not be neglected."

 _Friends cannot be neglected_ , Absolem whispered in her ear. His voice had her almost jump out of her skin. She frantically searched for any sign of the butterfly, ignoring the throbbing sensation at her temples. To her dismay, there was no soft beating of his wings, and there was no dash of blue amongst the sickly grey around her.

Watching her closely, Chaos raised an eyebrow. "Some things, of course, such as one's state of mind. Tell me, Alice, do you follow your own words as adamantly as you speak them?"

Alice's eyes widened at the sudden accusation. There was no hostility in her tone, yet she couldn't help but feel attacked. "What are you saying, exactly?"

"My sweet, I can free your mind."

"I'm sorry?"

"I can release you from your grief and guilt." Chaos caught Alice's stunned expression and continued. "I am a being of disorder. It would be ridiculous of me not to sense it within you."

"So how would you do that? There is no cure for those two ailments," Alice pointed out. Her piqued curiosity overrode her caution as she waited for a reply.

A thin smile spread across Chaos' face. "You're in Underland, remember?"

It wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for, but it was a fair point. A few moments passed before Alice spoke up again. "What would I owe in return for this kindness?"

"I'm looking for someone - like myself - who is a being of time itself."

"Time is a person?" Alice echoed with false astonishment. She figured that feigning ignorance would serve her best.

"Yes. Eons ago, we both existed in harmony. Watching over this place. Guiding it. But one day, I discovered a plot to rid disorder from this world completely," Chaos explained, holding a pained expression. "I was then locked away as a prisoner, and that is where I stayed until recently."

Her words hung in the air, like the smoky trail of a burning pirate ship at sea. Even though the firefight was over, Alice would not let her guard down just yet.

"But you have what you desire now? Wouldn't he disrupt your perfect world?"

"I never mentioned Time being a 'he'."

Alice fumbled over her words as she made a hasty reply. "Uh… I just assumed, because… in my world we call him Father Time."

Chaos narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, but went on to answer her. "These Underlings. They are my creations, and yet, they wound me. They do not accept me… but they accept him."

"Oh, well…" Alice started, unsure of what to say.

Then, Chaos went in a direction Alice hoped for, but didn't quite expect. "I must ask for his help. Perhaps we can put our differences aside… and make amends."

"I suppose I can help with that," Alice replied with a smile. Chaos nodded, still half in her own thoughts.

 _Perhaps_ _Underland was not_ _lost after all!_

They stood in silence for a moment, before Chaos spoke again. "Would you care to walk with me? I'm sure you'd like to see where your friend ran off to."

"McTwisp?" Alice suddenly remembered the rabbit, and the strange mask that he wore. "What have you done to him?"

"He should be returning to where the rest of the townspeople are. I can take you to them, if you wish."

"The rest?" she repeated. _They're alive!_

Before Alice could question Chaos further, heavy footsteps rapidly approached from behind her.

"There you are, you foolish girl! Do you have any idea what you have done? You have doomed us all!" a familiar voice exclaimed from behind her. Alice swung around to see Time emerge from the fog, holding his sides and heaving. The sight was familiar enough, except for the fact that he was not actually dying. Her mind briefly flicked back to when an extremely haggard Time pulled her into a cottage filled with clocks to scold her. It was odd, as now, he was scolding her for not being able to take the Chronosphere back to her world. "I cannot believe that you came here after I specifically explained -"

"Ah, Time. How nice of you to show. Truly, it has been too long," Chaos interrupted, eyes lighting up at the new arrival. Time locked up at the sound of her voice. Alice could have even sworn she heard a spring of his come loose. He quickly recomposed himself and turned his attention away from Alice.

"Chaos," Time greeted her stiffly. "I disagree. It has not been long enough."

Chaos smiled politely, while Time wore an unconvincing scowl. He wasn't fooling anyone, and for the first time, Alice saw something she had never seen before in his glowing blue eyes: terror.

"So you two do know each other," Chaos drawled. Alice went beet red; she'd been caught out on a lie. A big lie.

"What?" Confusion spread over Time's features as his gaze flicked between the two women. However, daggers were quick to form in his eyes as he stalked over to Alice. "Leave. Before it is too late," he hissed.

"But Chaos wants a truce. She said so herself."

Alice could feel the heat of his breath as he leaned in. "You should not have spoken to her, and you should not have come here."

"I'm doing what is necessary to save my friends."

Time winced slightly, staggering back to bring a hand to his clammy forehead.

_Was he experiencing headaches too?_

He quickly shook off the pain that had briefly bothered him. "You have put them in more danger just by-"

Chaos cleared her throat. Time flinched, and slowly wheeled around to face her.

"What do you want, Chaos?"

"Fate has brought us together so we can finally -"

"Do you think it was fate that brought me here? No, it was Alice," Time snapped. Alice merely stared at him. What on earth had gotten into him? In an instant, Time had gone from fearful to angry. The second Alice disobeyed him and stepped through the grandfather clock, she knew he would be upset with her. But compared to how he acted when Alice had stolen the Chronosphere, he was being quite harsh indeed.

A small part of Alice couldn't help but feel that he wasn't the man she had said farewell to in the Castle of Eternity. But how could that be? What could have changed? As she thought about it, it dawned on her that the same could be said for herself; she was not the same woman either…

"I only want to talk," Chaos finished, tickled by his outburst. "Or is that too much to ask?"

Time's eyebrows raised. "Now you want to talk? You weren't so willing before."

The pair had forgotten about Alice completely as they delved into a conversation eons in the making.

"That tends to happen when one is trying to survive."

"Survive? I did not want to kill you! I wanted you to stop -"

"You trapped me in that pit of nothingness. Your intentions were clear," Chaos spat.

Her teeth were bared now, and Time took an involuntary step back, raising his hands slowly. "I did that so I would not have to hurt you…" Her unwavering glare made him gulp. "I'm sorry. But it was the right thing for -"

Chaos' voice reached a crescendo as her whole body began to convulse with fury. "The right thing? You took from me what was once ours. Ours! Then you left me to rot. You left me -"

"You gave me no choice!" Time cried.

"You betrayed me! Your friend!"

"Forgive my intrusion, but you mentioned something about us going to see the villagers?" Alice piped up. The bickering pair went silent as they both turned their attention to Alice. If the two were to agree on a truce, she had to keep the conversation from escalating out of control. Alice only prayed her interruption wasn't the match that started the raging inferno.

Time clutched the sides of his head in an effort to fight back the dull pain that was gradually building. "Why are you still here?"

"Is she expected elsewhere?" Chaos butted in, now breathing steadily.

"She has no business here. This is between you and I."

"That is true. However, I did agree to take Alice to see her friends." Chaos then waved a hand at her. "You may leave if you wish, dear."

"No," Alice shook her head, more determined than ever. "Take me to them."

Chaos clapped her hands together. "Excellent. Then let us not waste any more of your time. Follow me."

"She will not be going anywhere with you," Time said curtly.

Before Alice could retort, Chaos stepped forwards. "Why don't you join us, Time? I only wish for things to go back to the way they were. To do that, I must ask for your help with these Underlings."

"I find that very hard to believe," Time scoffed.

Alice was quick to pull him aside. "This doesn't have to end in flames. Please," she begged. "This is your chance to make amends."

He looked Alice directly in the eyes. "Do not go with her."

"Why else would she be taking us to see the villagers? I'm sorry, but I must go," Alice said firmly. She then walked past Time over to where Chaos stood.

Time stared at her in disbelief; she wasn't this foolish, surely?

"If you are so worried about her, then you should come," Chaos proposed. "That is why you came back, is it not?"

"Pardon?" Time blinked profusely, his glare broken.

As one pair of eyes moved off, another pair landed on Alice. Chaos looked her up and down, as if examining her for any secrets. "What is so special about her?"

"There's nothing special -" Alice began but was silenced by Chaos' index finger.

"You were only here a short while before you disappeared," Chaos told Time.

"You must be mistaken. I have been wandering around looking for you for a quite a while now."

"Don't play daft. I have eyes everywhere. You went back to your castle, didn't you?" Chaos' eyes danced from Time back to Alice. "But she wasn't there. So, what is so special about her that would warrant your return?"

"You went back?" Alice asked Time incredulously.

"Well, I was going to -"

"Enough. Answer the question," Chaos demanded.

The pair went quiet. Time looked like a child caught red-handed as his gaze fell to his boots. But Alice would not entertain that image. She would not pity him. Instead, she silently fumed over the thought of him cowering back to his castle.

"She is very dear to me," Time finally admitted after a beat. Regardless of it being a blatant lie, Alice couldn't help but thaw a little. She was glad, however, as she realised it would make the act more believable. If Chaos was to ever catch wind of Time's plan to end Underland, then the chance of the two of them making amends would be very slim.

Alice tried to catch Time's eye, but he refused to look at her.

"That's all I wanted to hear. Now, let us walk." Chaos held out a hand, beckoning to the two of them.

Alice eagerly followed Chaos through the remnants of Witzend towards the heart of the town. Time, wearily, trailed a safe distance behind them. They crossed a short bridge and entered what was left of Witzend Castle.

Coming to a large hall, Alice immediately spotted the White Queen and the Red Queen on a stage at the far end of the room. They each sat atop a chair, staring down at their audience of villagers. To their left stood the Mad Hatter and his family, and the rest of her frabjous friends were seated in the front row. But as the newcomers entered the hall, not one person made a sound, nor moved to acknowledge them. It was as if they were all eloquent statues.

Alice took in the jarring scene, and couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. Her eyes landed on Tarrant again, and she noticed him carrying an old wooden box.

 _This is Iracebeth's_ _coronation_ , she realised.

However, it was as if Alice had stepped into a twisted version of the past. Most of the floor was covered in overgrowth and rubble, while thick vines penetrated through the enormous stained glass windows. The vines were like a giant's hand that reached in and let its fingers snake across the floor and walls. The room was also infested with shadows that made Alice's hairs stand on end.

"I receive images of memories that have caused great turmoil," began Chaos, observing Alice's stern features. She then gave Time a pout. "My time spent waiting for you has been occupied by recreating these images."

Alice couldn't stand still any longer. She made a beeline for the gang.

"McTwisp? Bayard?" she tried, crouching down to shake the pair. She then moved to the twins. "Tweedles? Can you hear me?"

Chaos gestured at the throne room. "This was a peculiar day indeed. Fascinating, how denying one's birthright can lead to an entire village being obliterated with fire…"

"Mally? Thackery? Chess?"

"Alice," Time called, watching with a heavy heart as she jumped onto the stage to try rouse Mirana from her frozen state.

With hope gleaming in her eyes, Alice then stood in front of the Mad Hatter. Even with the black mask plastered to his face, Alice knew those wild orange curls anywhere. If anyone were to overcome whatever spell had taken them, it would be him. But as the seconds ticked agonisingly on, his mask allowed no sign of recognition. He simply stared straight through her, as if she were a ghost.

"Please, Hatter… Answer me!" Alice exclaimed. She gave his shoulders a vigorous shake, and, just like her heart, whatever was inside the box he held had shattered.

Time couldn't bear the sight any longer. He promptly crossed the room to stand next to her. Giving Tarrant a sympathetic glance, he then gently placed a hand on Alice's shoulder. "He cannot hear you. He is a slave to Chaos now."

Alice suddenly felt his grip tighten, and looked up in time to see his face scrunched in agony. She brushed off his arm. Whatever was bothering him was no concern of hers right now - regardless of whether he was being nice or not. What did concern her however was her friends' appearance. Their tattered clothes and pale complexion told her enough. They had been like this for a long time.

And then, as a brief moment of clarity hit Alice, it finally clicked. _Chaos doesn't care for the Underlandians at all._

Alice struggled to keep her voice level as she turned away from Tarrant to address Chaos. "What have you done to them?"

"I am punishing them for their misdeeds against me. Once Time provides his assistance, we can begin again," Chaos replied, her oily voice resonating through the chamber.

Alice spun around to see her casually stroll down the aisle with her hands behind her back, and felt her nails dig deep into her palms. "Misdeeds?"

"Alice," Time warned in a hushed tone.

"These are people! They are not misbehaving children, and they are certainly not your playthings!" Alice roared. The thought of facilitating a truce had gone straight out the window.

"You dare speak to me about what I can and cannot do with my creations?"

"Underland was well-off before you arrived! They don't need you to rule them!"

"And what brings you to that conclusion?"

"If you truly cared for them, you wouldn't have treated them like this!"

Chaos laughed. "A pity. I liked you Alice, but now I see your true colours are… finally showing. I suppose it is only fair now that I show mine."

She raised a hand high in the air and clicked. At the sharp sound, everyone had jolted to life - as if awaking from a deep slumber. One by one, the blank expressions on their masks melted, making it seem as if their mouths hung agape in a silent scream.

"I will admit that it was clear from the start: you breathe the same lie as him," said Chaos. "And I was only planning on ending Time, but now I've decided that you must fall with him as well."

"Wait -" Alice began but faltered at the sight of her raising a pointed finger towards her and Time.

Chaos' nostrils flared as she bellowed. "These petty Underlings you so love will be your undoing! Minions, get them!"

Alice gulped. "They won't hurt us -"

"Do not be fooled, Alice. They are not themselves," Time said through gritted teeth. He refused to take his eyes off the advancing villagers as he held an arm defensively in front of Alice.

_No…_

Alice turned to the Hatter, who slowly stalked towards her. "I'm sorry I didn't stay with you when I had the chance. Every day that I was away from this place, I longed to return. But now, just as a second chance to stay is within my reach, it is ripped away from me." When she couldn't even stir a slight pause from Tarrant, Alice then closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate. "I only wish we had more time together."

"More of me?" Time said in realisation. "Now that I can do!"

He ripped open his vest and jabbed a finger at the second hand of his heart-clock, holding it in place. His cries of pain were drowned out by a thunderous crack that had suddenly filled the room.

Alice wrenched her eyes open and gasped. Tarrant's orange-tinged fingers were almost an inch from her face. She staggered backwards and looked around the throne room in a daze. Everyone was rooted to the spot, entwined in blue electricity.

"Quickly now!" Time exclaimed through laboured breaths. The longer he held time in place, the more his face contorted in agony. Alice grabbed him by the arm and pulled him through the crowd. Just as they passed the frozen villagers who stood guard at the exit, another electrical hiss sounded.

Time had released the second hand.

"After them!" came Chaos' shrill voice, and a stampede of feet rumbled through the stone hall. The pair dashed across the small bridge and headed down to the town square.

Sweat gathered quickly around Time's brows as he ran. "We must head to the White Queen's castle."

"It's too far! We'll never make it!" Alice managed between pants.

Time reached into his breast pocket. He pulled out whatever it was and clutched it tightly. "We can try."

He pulled ahead, leading the way down a smaller street. As the houses that lined the path became sparse and the cobble underneath their feet turned to dirt, Time loosened his fisted hand and titled his palm. Hundreds of tiny seeds dripped in his wake. Alice glanced behind her in time to witness hands sprout from the dirt. Upon closer examination, she could see that the hands were in fact made from various colourful vegetables.

_So Time had created the Red Queen's vegetable guards… and castle!_

Arms and legs followed as the vegetable entities clawed their way to freedom. Some of the villagers were caught at the ankles by hands that had not yet formed bodies, but the rest were not perturbed and kept on Alice and Time's tail.

One vegetable guard, who had fully grown and pulled themselves out of the ground, lashed out at a nearby person. A guttural howl had Alice stop and turn.

_Were they going to hurt the villagers? Were they going to hurt her friends?_

Time also stopped. "Alice! What are you doing!?"

More fully-formed vegetable soldiers appeared, and let out a battle cry as they charged the villagers.

"Stop!" Alice cried. Time had to wrench her back as the carnage unfolded. Tangles of bodies hit the floor in a desperate struggle.

"We need to leave!" Time yelled and took off again. Alice allowed herself one last look at the villagers, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of her friends to see if they were alright. Instead, what she saw made her heart drop.

Their distraction was short-lived.

Like a pack of starving mutts circling a piece of rotten meat, the villagers closed in on the remaining vegetable soldiers. Alice forced herself to look away and focus on keeping pace with Time, who was fumbling around inside his pocket again. Suddenly, he skidded to an abrupt halt. With his cloak tail billowing behind him, he spun around, and in one fluid movement, released more tiny seeds. They all scattered across the muddy ground between the escaping pair and the mob of pursuers. This time, Alice witnessed Time wave a hand high in the air. His eyes flared, and the ground below her feet heaved as if it was taking its first breaths of life. Alice desperately tried to find her footing as the mud pulled back, and the ground tore open. Multiple thick columns of vegetables slowly emerged, and began to tower far above her. Some branches smashed into nearby cottages, sending debris flying everywhere. Alice stared in awe at them, not in the slightest bit aware that another large rupture in the earth had occurred beside her. It was enough to cause her to lose balance. She went tumbling down in a heap just as Time ran past. He quickly backpedalled to where she lay and grabbed her by the back of her coat. With a grunt, he lifted her up and propped her back on two feet.

"It is a wonder I never caught you when you ran off with my Chronosphere," hissed Time.

While their pursuers were busy, Time chucked one last seed on the ground in front of him. With a wave of his hand, a large hind leg poked out from the soil. Alice turned her attention back to the villagers, who were untangling themselves and squeezing out of the mess of vegetables that had ensnared them. She tried to catch a glimpse of any of her friends, but a tap on the shoulder brought her round to face a rather large beast made entirely out of vegetables and plants. Alice noticed it was almost the spitting image of the Bandersnatch.

Time mounted the vegetable beast and held out a hand for her. She took it and allowed herself to be heaved up onto the creature's back. Then, with a thunderous roar, the beast bounded forwards at breakneck speed towards the Tulgey woods. The fog thickened, and the town of Witzend and all its chaos-stricken villagers were left in their dust.

"One would think that after almost destroying Underland and Time myself, you would have the sense to listen to me," Time scolded as he stared dead ahead.

Alice couldn't find the energy to even speak, let alone argue. All she could do was let his words sink in as the beast carried them farther and farther away from her friends.

"I told you not to go with her. Chaos had led you straight into a trap, and you dragged me into it. We were lucky we even escaped!"

 _He's right_ , she realised with a sigh. _How was I so easily fooled? I'm never like this, not even when I'm under pressure…_

The pair rode for what seemed like an eternity, and nothing but the ground-shaking thud of the beast's feet filled the silence. Finally, the fog began to thin out as they descended down a shallow hill. Ahead, the dark shape of the White Queen's castle came into view. The beast moved swiftly down the wide stone path, passing the rows of bare trees and entering the empty courtyard.

 _This place was so beautiful_ , Alice thought sadly. She remembered how the people of Marmoreal milled amongst the pink petal trees with not a single care in the world.

_Hang on._

Alice scanned her surroundings again as Time hopped off the beast.

"I thought you said Chaos had this grandfather clock well-guarded?" Alice inquired. There was not a soul to be seen around the castle grounds.

As Time helped her down, he too glanced around. "They are probably inside, which is why we must move quickly, and quietly."

Alice nodded, and the pair made their way to the entrance. To their surprise, no one stood guard outside the grand wooden doors.

Time closed one eye and peeked through the crack in the double doors. "There is no one inside either."

Satisfied with this, he pushed open the doors and strolled into the foyer. Alice followed; a dreadful feeling overcoming her. She couldn't help but think that there was something very, very wrong. That they were not out of the fire just yet.

Time took off down one of the ground floor corridors, whereas Alice remained in the foyer. He was halfway down before he realised her absence.

"It's this way," Alice called when he turned around, and pointed to a large spiralling staircase behind her.

"Oh."

Time adjusted his hat and stalked back down the corridor to where Alice waited. He then followed closely behind her, not making a sound as she took him up and down staircases, and down long and short hallways. As they walked, the two expected to run into company, but found no one.

Finally, they came to a secluded door, and Alice prayed that her memory had served her correctly. She gave the door a gentle push, and the old wood creaked as it gave way, revealing a black grandfather clock. Alice wore a prideful grin as she stepped inside. The small chamber was just as she had left it all those years ago: swarming with cobwebs. Behind her, Time snapped his fingers, and the chains that constricted the clock fell to the floor in a heap.

"Quickly now," Time said, ushering Alice forwards. She squeezed into the guts of the clock and found herself in a dark abyss. Time lumbered in after her and clicked his fingers once more. The door swung shut, and the chains began to wrap themselves tightly around it.

"So what now?" Alice finally asked after a moment's silence.

"Underland is lost, Alice. There is only one thing left to do." Time passed the pendulum and made his way through the dark.

"There must be something else we -"

Time cut her off abruptly. "I am done listening to you," he growled, and she fell silent.

Suddenly, it felt like her head was stuck in a tightening vice. Images of her friends - looking like miserable masked puppets - danced before her eyes.

She had failed them. She had failed Underland.

The veil of darkness finally pulled back to reveal the Castle of Eternity. Extending far into the cloudy sky, the gloomy structure gave no hint as to where it ended. For all Alice knew, it could have been endlessly tall.

Wandering to the edge of the bottomless pit that formed part of the gargantuan clock, Time waited until the second hand was to reach him. As it neared, he ripped open his vest and jabbed a finger at his heart clock. Sharp bolts of electricity pulsated from Time's chest as the second hand grinded to a halt. Not bothering to check over his shoulder to see if Alice was following, he stepped out onto the narrow stone platform. Alice could hear Time mumbling grumpily about moving the entrance into the castle as she quietly trailed after him.

Time was already halfway up the obsidian staircase when Alice reached the foot of the castle. She ascended a couple of steps before freezing.

"Was it always this foggy here?" she inquired, projecting her voice so it would reach him. Small bouts of fog leaked down like a miniature waterfall, and seemed to thicken farther up the staircase.

"It is probably excess steam being emitted from my invincible machine," he surmised, oblivious to her mounting distress.

Alice's breaths became heavier as she followed the trail up to the top. When the entrance finally came into view, the blood in her veins ran cold. The dark fog trail was coming from inside the castle, and pools of it seeped through the gate.

 _That_ _can't be good._

"Come on, there's matters that require our attention," Time said. He began to tap his foot as he waited.

"Did you, by any chance, close the other portal to Underland?" asked Alice nervously. Time stared blankly at her for a moment, processing. His eyes then enlarged almost comically as he spun around and charged through the gates, disappearing into the foggy corridor. Alice took the steps two at a time and chased after him. He didn't get far, as Alice almost ran into him due to the low visibility. She found him focused on the loud ruckus emanating from deep within the castle.

"She's here," Time breathed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry for the delay in updating this fic! I've written and re-written it about a dozen times now! Hope the 10k word count makes up for the wait, and hope you all enjoy the chapter! I'm a good chick into writing the last chapter, so expect it soon. Comments welcome! :)


	3. Castle of Rust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice and Time make one last stand against Chaos in the Castle of Eternity.

_"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." - James M. Barrie  
  
_

** _Chapter 3: Castle of Rust_ **

Time's face went ashen as he turned to her. "We must get you to the Chronosphere immediately."  
  


Alice nodded and followed him as he hurried down the corridor. They came out to the main chamber, and Time proceeded onto one of the walkways and climbed up some stairs to a viewing platform. His eyes darted from left to right, scanning the vast area.  
  


"I don't think that's excess steam," Alice pointed out as she joined him. She could just barely make out the various clockwork parts that kept the whole place ticking. Only the light of the Grand Clock stood out in the fog. It gave out a golden hue amongst the grey. Instinctively, Alice reached into her pocket and clutched her pocket watch. Something definitely wasn't right.  
  


"I cannot see her. Come on," Time beckoned. He stopped short halfway down the stairs, clutching his head with both hands. Judging by his facial expression, it looked to be quite an intense pain.  
  


"You didn't have those headaches before you left this castle, did you?" Alice asked, clearing her throat.  
  


Time shook his head as he rubbed his temples. The pain had disappeared as quickly as it had come. "No. Are you experiencing them as well?"  
  


"Yes," Alice said. He knitted his brows as she observed the grand interior carefully. "The only thing that's different about this place is that there is fog everywhere. So, I think it must be the fog that's doing it."  
  


"And what is it doing to us?"  
  


"Well," Alice began. "Along with the headaches, I think it's affecting the both of us. I've noticed -"  
  


"Actually, it doesn't matter," Time stated impatiently with a wave of his hand. "We're wasting me."  
  


 _Case in point,_ Alice thought bitterly. He started up again and led the way as Alice silently trailed behind him.  
  


After a few minutes of walking, they finally ascended the staircase that would take them to the Grand Clock. But when they reached the top, they spotted a figure in front of the massive structure with their back turned. Motionless on the floor beside them, was the remnants of a fallen Minute.   
  


"I don't like to be kept waiting. I've done too much of it for one lifetime," Chaos said, spinning around to face them. Alice could hear some of Time's gears grind to a halt.    
  


Chaos' cloaked frame was engulfed by the sheer enormity of the clock's face. Its golden glow illuminated her outline, but painted her in deep shadow.  
  


Time quickly stepped in front of Alice and turned his back to Chaos. "Go," he whispered. "I will stay here and distract her long enough for you to take the Chronosphere. Once you have it, make your way to the throne room. There will be a pool of water waiting to take you back to your -"  
  


Before he could finish, he grunted in pain. He clawed at his hat and yanked it off. It made a loud thunk as it fell to the floor. 

  
"Are you all right?" Alice asked with a sharp gasp.  
  


"Fetch the Chronosphere and leave now. I will not ask you twice," Time commanded.   
  


"But -"  
  


"Now, Alice!" Time felt his voice raise involuntarily and winced. It should have been the last thing on his mind, but becoming like his former dearest invaded his thoughts. Her quick rise to anger was something he despised - even though he loved her dearly. Then, like a clock striking the next hour with a loud wail, it clicked. Perhaps Alice was right. Perhaps something was affecting him… Or someone.   
  


Before he could express his delayed revelation, Alice had already begun to move cautiously towards the Grand Clock. She passed by Chaos, whose golden eyes never left Time. Thankful for that, Alice reached one of the tiny arches underneath the clock without resistance and looked back. Time wasn't meeting Chaos' menacing gaze. He had his head hung low.   
  


Alice sighed. It was too late for a goodbye, so she would have to treat their earlier farewell to each other as their final one. She squeezed through the arch and out of sight.   
  


"Once I have dealt with you, I will deal with her too. There is nowhere she can go where I cannot find her," Chaos sneered.  
  


Time's eyes were alight as he finally looked up from his boots. He had once said that to Alice. And yet, Alice had proved him wrong.  
  


XXX

  
The past seemed to be blending with the present for Alice. Here she was, once again, leaning against the metal railing, steeling herself to leap across a bottomless pit and latch onto a large swinging pendulum. All this effort in the hopes of snatching up the Chronosphere and leaving Underland in one piece.   
  


She took a deep breath and jumped.  
  


One foot met thin air as she landed, causing her to slip off the pendulum. As she fell, her hands flung out just in time to grab hold of the circular base.  
  


"Oh dear," Alice gasped. Her legs dangled uselessly underneath her as she held on for dear life.  
  


She steadied her breathing, gathering the strength needed to pull herself up. When she finally did manage to get her footing on the base, her muscles felt like they had been torn clean off of her bones.  
  


_Right. One pendulum down, five to go…  
  
_

XXX  
  


"You used my own seeds of life against me in your escape."  
  


Time's moustache twitched. "And you have been manipulating my emotions."  
  


"Not manipulating, just augmenting them. Everything that you felt was already inside of you," Chaos explained, matter-of-factly. "You see, when I first emerged from my prison, the Underlings did not warm up to me very well. I released my fog upon them in an attempt to draw out their love for their new ruler… but it only made things worse."  
  


"So instead you have forced them to be your mindless puppets?" Time said in disgust.   
  


Ignoring him, Chaos continued. "They hate me. To them, I am a burden on their lives. I am an unspeakable evil. They think this even after everything that I have done for them! I gave them life!"  
  


"You cannot make someone love you," Time stated quietly.  
  


Chaos shook her head in bewilderment. "But they love you. You thrust upon them a part of yourself, and in turn, they are a slave to you."   
  


Time snorted. "They do not love me either. They thought they had to race me. They thought that I was a thief - that I take, and never give. They feared me! And the few that did not? They wished to use me for their personal gain! I am as much alone as you are."  
  


"Then they all must die."  
  


"Certainly not!" Time exclaimed, giving her an exasperated look. "No one deserves to have their time stolen from them."  
  


"Never mind what they deserve. Do you know what we deserve? Their respect."  
  


Time pinched the bridge of his nose. It was like he had hopped into the Chronosphere and travelled all the way back to when he had last confronted her. The conversation had boiled down to too much order, and not enough respect.   
  


"Do you not agree?" Chaos prodded.  
  


"…yes, I agree."  
  


"Then why do you defend them if I am right?"  
  


"A broken clock is bound to be correct - even if it is only for a minute. Yes, we deserve their respect. But I agree with you only on that. We are not here to rule, we are here to simply keep the universe ticking," Time stated.  
  


Disappointed, Chaos shook her head. "You have always been a fool, settling for less."  
  


"And you have always been delusional, expecting more than you deserve."  
  


XXX  
  


Landing on the slowly turning gear, Alice made her way to the centre. She was within arm's reach of the glowing orb that was responsible for powering the universe when she paused.  
  


This was it. From this moment onwards, there was no turning back.  
  


Alice inhaled deeply. Then, much to her heart's protests, she extended her hand over the furiously spinning Chronosphere. The heat generated was enough to almost burn her palm as she snatched it up. A mournful bell chimed, and one last bolt of energy shot down the centre of the gear and into the bowels of the enormous clockwork.  
  


XXX  
  


Time fell to his knees, clutching his chest as an electric current ran through him.  
  


"Giving up already? We haven't even begun yet," Chaos jeered. Behind her, the Grand Clock went into a frenzy.  
  


Through his laboured breaths, he let out a hearty chuckle. "Your time is up."  
  


XXX  
  


As Alice ran along the walkway, she could see from across the gigantic interior the light of the Grand Clock dimming. One  of the face's glass panes had also fractured. There were no Seconds left to keep it going now, meaning Alice had little time to make her escape. But even with that daunting thought, Alice found that she couldn't tear her gaze away. Her gut twisted into knots as she spotted Chaos in front of the Grand Clock. She was the only one left standing.  
  


Time had fallen.  
  


Chaos peered down at Time, who knelt at her feet with his chin resting on his chest. Suddenly, she bent over to grab Time's jaw. She anchored his head so he was gazing up at her. But their eyes did not meet. Instead, Time's eyes widened as they locked on to a now unmoving Alice.    
  


Chaos snapped something inaudible at Time, then followed his line of sight.  
  


Alice felt a chill run down her spine as Chaos' hungry eyes landed on her. Even though she was across the gigantic room, there was no mistaking that devious smile.  
  


Shoving Time to the floor, Chaos extended her arms away from her body and craned her head upwards. Her pupils dilated outwards, consuming her eyes until they were pitch black. While she held her position, all the fog in the room began to stir as if a breeze had started up. It started to cluster around Chaos and swirl upwards. The fog went from grey to black as it picked up speed, circulating higher and higher above the deity.  
  


Then, it stopped.  
  


Alice stole a quick glance around her. She could now clearly see the vast interior of the castle. But what on earth was that great big ball of gas that now hovered menacingly in the air above Chaos?  
  


Before Alice could even finish that thought, it plunged downwards as a stream, and straight into Chaos' open mouth. Smoke began to overflow, obscuring her face, then her entire body.    
  


Alice let out a sharp gasp. _It was probably time to run.  
  
_

She bolted down the rest of the walkway, refusing to look behind her. As she hit a junction, she realised she hadn't the foggiest idea how to get back to the throne room. It was easy enough to find the Grand Clock; it stood out amongst the clockwork, walkways, and platforms that populated the cavernous room. But to find the rooms that were tucked away… that was something she needed time - and Time himself - for.   
  


_Come on, Alice. Think! Was it near the rooms with the pocket watches?  
  
_

She roughly knew where that was - and it was her best bet.  
  


Alice's footsteps echoed loudly around her as she ducked into a corridor. As she ran, out of the corner of her eye she spotted a dark trail of gas racing beside her. It zipped out past her and pooled up ahead. Alice stopped herself before she ran straight through it. As she began to backpedal, the gas lurched upwards, morphing into a human form.  
  


Chaos had materialised directly in front of her.  
  


"You have upheld your end of our arrangement, Alice. So it is only fair that I now deliver my promise to you."  
  


Alice let the hand she held the Chronosphere with slide behind her back. "Stay away from me."  
  


"The Chronosphere?" Chaos let out a bark of laughter. "Give that to me before you do something stupid."  
  


"You cannot change the past," Alice warned, taking a few steps back.  
  


Chaos scowled. "I know that, you silly child." She then took a few steps forwards. "But if you are planning on leaving, then you are forgetting something."  
  


"What?"  
  


"Me."  
  


Alice had heard enough. She spun on her heel and took off in the opposite direction. But Chaos had already dissolved. The gas made its way in front of Alice and arranged itself into the outline of a person once more.  
  


"It is rude to leave a conversation part-way through without excusing oneself first," Chaos' smoky form rasped.  
  


"My apologies. Please, excuse me," Alice replied, sarcasm weaving its way through her voice. As she went to run, she found her boots to be quite heavy. It was as if they were filled to the brim with sand. She looked down and paled.  
  


Some of the smoke that had passed her earlier was slowly seeping through the fabric of her boots and pants.  
  


"During my conversation with Time, I realised something… I must start again. A new beginning… in a new world."  
  


"A new world?" Alice repeated, struggling to keep the panic from her voice.  
  


"Yes. Your _old_ one. As much as I would enjoy killing you - and making that pathetic excuse of a being of time be witness to it - you continue to be useful to me, Alice. You will be the vessel that brings me to your world," Chaos explained, while her cold, dead eyes skimmed over Alice.  
  


More smoke oozed out of her and onto the obsidian floor. Alice's eyes widened as it made its way towards her.  
  


_She's going to possess me!  
  
_

The sickening thought was enough for her adrenaline to finally kick in. It surged through her veins, and Alice managed to get her limbs moving and pull away from the smoke.  
  


The goal was to head in the general direction of the Underlandian's Living and Deceased rooms, but Chaos had made that task difficult. Alice's sense of direction had been jumbled up, and she found that there was no time to get her bearings. Her prime concern now was the wisps of black smoke nipping at her heels, like a venomous serpent relentlessly hunting its prey.  
  


"You cannot run from me! There's a teeny tiny bit of me already inside of you now!" Chaos sung, her sickly-sweet voice echoing through the halls.  
  


Alice struggled to breathe as she went down a familiar corridor. Even adrenaline couldn't hold off whatever Chaos was doing to her. Her limbs grew heavier and heavier as more smoke seeped into her. With the amount of effort moving took for Alice, she was surprised to find that she was not overheating. A bitter cold had a hold of her, strangling whatever warmth her body tried to produce.   
  


Up ahead, a bright white light shone through one of the doorways. Even though it was not that far, it appeared to be miles away. Alice was now forced to do a sluggish hobble, closing the distance between her and the light inch by inch. And in what she felt to be a second of eternity, Alice could hear nothing but the sound of her heart keeping time with her feet.  
  


_My heart is slowing.  
  
_

_It should be beating much faster than this.  
  
_

_I'm not going to make it to the throne room.  
  
_

_Chaos will have me well before then.  
  
_

As she got close to the light, the dreadful thoughts that bombarded her mind were silenced. An elated feeling began to bubble inside of her. There was no more icy chill either. She felt warm and fuzzy all over - something she hadn't experienced since -   
  


 _I call this the Room of Remembrance_ , Time's voice rang inside her head. _If you or any other Underling were to step inside, you would be lost deep within your own pleasant memories.  
  
_

Alice stopped just outside of the room, blinking rapidly to get her eyes adjusted to the brightness. As she stared into the empty whiteness, she realised that she didn't care that her limbs now felt like dead weight. She didn't care that the last of the smoke was now soaking into her, working its way through her body to find and seize her heart. At that very moment, all she cared about was being happy. But as of late, it was difficult to feel anything even remotely close to happiness. Alice was always exhausted. Sleepless nights haunted her each day, marking her with dark circles and bloodshot eyes. Whenever she did manage to find sleep, it came after a hefty amount of tossing and turning, wondering, contemplating, and producing what-ifs in her mind. She thought up scenarios that always led to happy endings to make up for her dreamless nights. For three years, she endured this self-inflicted torture. Fantasies and the off-chance of returning to Underland were the only things keeping her afloat. The former, Alice knew, was what it was: just a fantasy. The dead could never be brought back. But Underland wasn't a fantasy, it was her last crutch - her last source of happiness - and now it too would be taken from her.  
  


At least now, she could take one last indulgence in happiness before her mind and body were ripped away from her forever.     
  


 _I'm sorry,_ Alice mentally apologised to Time, then to everyone else in Underland. She scrunched her eyes tightly, and, with her last remaining strength, threw herself into the white room.  
  


It was as if a great weight had been lifted from her. She had almost forgotten what that felt like.   
  


Somewhere along the floor ahead of her, Alice heard the clattering of some metallic items. In her dive, the Chronosphere must have fallen out of her pocket. But she paid no mind to the fact that it did not morph into a large time-machine. Instead, she beamed at the whiteness around her, relishing in its comfort. As she picked herself up from the floor and looked back, she found that the door she had entered from was no longer there. In its place was what looked to be a very old, winter-ridden tree. It stood alone, and towered over Alice as she approached it. Before she could graze her hand over the grey bark, a small voice echoed from behind her.  
  


"Alice! Are you even listening to me?"  
  


Alice swung around to find herself eye-level with a young girl. She was dressed in a neat puffy-sleeved dress and let her long golden hair fall onto her back. A freshly-picked rose also jutted out from behind her ear. Past the girl was a riverbank and grey sky that had replaced the empty white.  
  


"You were ignoring me again, weren't you?" her sister Margaret said. With arms tightly crossed, and one hand hanging onto an open book, Margaret gave her a nasty scowl. Alice realised she must have drowned out her sister while reading her boring book aloud.  
  


"Girls! Come along now, it's going to rain! I don't want either of you to catch a cold!" a distant voice that sounded very much like her mother called. Margaret reached up to pull out the rose that was in her hair and used the stem as a bookmark. She then scuttled off, but Alice did not follow. Instead, she opted to watch the clouds slowly roll in. Observing a storm was something she loved to do. She always wondered what it would be like to be one. Could she be as loud as thunder? Could she be as fast as the wind? As Alice daydreamed, from across the lake appeared a very distressed man. Alice's eyes immediately landed upon him, and she cocked her head slightly. The man was dressed in blacks and greys, and what he wore was very peculiar indeed. He had shoulder pads as large as she was tall, making him look like an hour glass. His black hair was also tightly wound in a bun.   
  


The mysterious man quickly rounded the lake and approached her.  
  


"Is your name Alice?" he asked, kneeling down to be eye level. Alice nodded vigorously. It was always a delight when people wanted to speak with her. Everyone at school thought her to be odd, and as such, no one ever wanted to talk or be friends. Perhaps this man was one of her father's business friends?   
  


"Your clothes are pretty, but too dark. You can't have both. Or can you? I must ask my sister," rattled Alice.  
  


"Alice! Alice?" Her mother was now battling the whistling winds to be heard.   
  


"Alice, listen to me carefully. This is a memory that you are reliving. You must take my hand, and come with me."  
  


Out of the corner of Alice's eye, Margaret came bounding back over a shallow hill. "Alice! I'm telling mother you ignored me!" she teased.   
  


"I have to go," Alice mumbled in annoyance. "I don't want to get into trouble again."  
  


"No! Wait!" Time began, but Alice had already run off.  
  


XXX  
  


Alice stopped skipping. Ahead was a clearing, and a very large table. On the ornate plates were all sorts of colourful cakes and delicious treats. Her stomach rumbled at the sight. She had been peckish all day, and had refused to eat the gigantic mushrooms she encountered in these strange woods. The mushrooms made her grow tiny and large, and were quite disgusting.  
  


As she got closer, she realised there was company seated. A dormouse lay sleeping in a very small chair that was stacked atop many books, which sat on a normal-sized wooden chair. Across from her was a very nerve-wracked rabbit, examining the saucer and cup in front of him with only his frantic eyes. Finally, seated at the head of the table in a very tall, cushiony armchair, was a rather strangely-dressed man. It was only fitting though, that the person who sat in the tallest seat was the one who wore the tallest hat. He hummed a tune that Alice wasn't familiar with, but stopped when he saw her walking towards the table.   
  


"Hello," Alice greeted. "Are you having a tea party?"  
  


The hatted man's green eyes lit up with curiosity, but he didn't move an inch.  
  


"We most certainly are! Would you like to join us?" he replied with a toothy grin.  
  


"Oh, yes please! I'm quite hungry, actually."  
  


"Of course you are," he nodded, watching with an expectant stare as Alice slid into a cushiony seat at the far end of the table. Once seated, she reached for a nearby pastry and hungrily munched on it.  
  


"What is your name?" He almost sounded hesitant to ask.  
  


"Alice," she replied between mouthfuls. Even though the pastry was quite stale, it still hit the spot.  
  


"Alice? Alice! The Alice!?" he cried, much to her shock. Why would he be so excited about her name? Had they met before? She watched as he cautiously lifted himself off of his chair, expecting something terrible to happen. When nothing did, his lips formed into a wide smile. "Yippee! Mally, old girl! Wake up! Thackery, old chum! Up we hop now! We can move again! We're free! We're free!"   
  


"Wasstha?" the dormouse mumbled, still half asleep.   
  


"Oh dear…" Alice muttered as the hatted man leapt up onto the table and pranced over to where she was sitting. With each step he took, cups and saucers clanged together, and bits and pieces of food flew off of their platters.    
  


"Time said that until you join us, it will always be one minute to tea-time!" He then bounced off the table and plopped himself in the seat next to her. "But you're here now!"  
  


"Tea-time! Forever no more!" the rabbit cheered, rocking back and forth in his seat. "Now, who wants some tea? It is tea-time, after all."   
  


"Who might you all be, then?" Alice inquired, letting the puzzling statements made fly over her head.   
  


"Oh, pardon me! I seem to have let my manners slip with Time," he chortled. Both the dormouse and rabbit gave him a wicked glare. The hatted man then promptly spun around to point at them. "That rabbit there is Thackery Earwicket, and that dormouse there is Mallymkun."  
  


"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Alice, parroting what she had heard her parents say whenever they met new people. She gave a polite smile to the mouse and rabbit, then turned her attention back to the man. "And who are you?"  
  


"He's Tarrant Hightopp, of course! But you can call him the Hatter if you really want." The rabbit then leant in with such intensity to stage whisper to her. "Be careful though, he's a bit… mad."  
 

The Hatter, seemingly outraged, slammed his fists on the table, causing more saucers and cups to fly in the air. He then pointed an accusatory finger at Thackery. "Not as mad as you are!"  
 

"Oh yes! Very mad we are!" Thackery giggled, then sat back down to pour tea into his already filled cup.   
 

 _What strange company,_ Alice thought. Although, she didn't mind really. They were much more entertaining than anyone else she had ever met at a tea party.  
 

After a few minutes observing the three stuffing their faces like there was no tomorrow, Alice mustered up the courage to ask a burning question. "So, where am I?"  
 

"My mill of a house," Thackery replied.  
 

"No, what is this place called?" Alice asked, shaking her head and pointing to the colourful flora around her.  
 

"The Tulgey Woods?" Mallymkun answered.  
 

Alice shook her head again, this time more vigorously. "I've grown really tall, and shrunk really small. I've seen a grin with no cat, and I've made a sea with my own tears. Animals talk, and wear pretty clothes. What crazy, mad world am I in?"  
 

"Oh! You're in Underland, of course!" Hatter exclaimed.  
 

"Wonderland? What a peculiar name."  
 

Alice may have misheard the name, but the Hatter was not about to correct her anytime soon. Instead, he beamed. "Yes, yes. I suppose it is a bit of a wondrous place!"  
 

She then examined all the food on the table, deciding what to pick next. However, her eyes landed on a flower arrangement filled with decaying roses. Along with the stale food, she thought it quite odd indeed. Why would a tea party have stale food and yucky flowers?  
 

"And… how long has this tea party been going on for?" Alice finally inquired.  
 

Everyone abruptly stopped what they were doing. A cup even hit its saucer a bit too harshly. The three all exchanged nervous glances. Hatter took the mouse's shrug and the rabbit's ear-pulling as a satisfactory answer and turned to Alice.  
 

"We're not quite sure, actually. It could be years for all we know!" he exclaimed.   
 

The party all simultaneously erupted into a laughing fit. Alice wanted to be part of whatever joke he made too, so giggled along.  
 

Suddenly, Thackery let out a shriek of pure terror as he pointed to the tree line. "It's him! He's back! He's back!"  
 

They all swung around on their seats to see a newcomer step out into the clearing.  
 

"Stay back, blighter! Or I'll have ya!" Mallymkun roared, drawing a sharp blade from her belt. Thackery dove under the table, and the Hatter stood abruptly from his seat. He rushed over to Alice just as the man approached the tea party.  
 

"Alice! Please, do not be alarmed. You must come with me. Quickly now!" the stranger beckoned to her.  
 

"She most certainly will not come with you!" the Hatter declared. He then turned to Alice, fear filling his maddening eyes. "Run, before Time traps you in a never ending loop!"  
 

"Excuse me?" Time blurted. A look of bewilderment crossed his weary face as his eyes glided over the tea-party.  
 

"Is he gone yet? I can't hear anything," came Thackery's muffled voice from somewhere underneath the table.     
 

"Oh, I remember now," Time said sheepishly. "No, I am not here to cause trouble. I came for -"  
 

Something nagged at her to stay put. To listen to what the man had to say. But fear had gotten the better of her. Alice darted away into the woods, glancing over her shoulder to catch one last glimpse at the most interesting tea party she had ever attended.  
 

"Alice? Alice!"  
 

XXX  
 

Alice came to a halt, huffing and puffing. She gave herself one last check and straightened the corset that threatened to crush her lungs. Perhaps it wasn't the brightest idea to run while wearing it, but she was going to be late otherwise. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from the hedge maze, taking care not to step on the roses by the entrance. Thankfully, she had arrived just in time, as Lord Ascot was about to make a toast. He had always made delightful toasts, and was perhaps the only friendly face here.  
 

Every year, the Ascots would throw a garden party. And for the past couple of years, Alice would be pestered by men at the party believing themselves to be worthy of the Kingsleigh name. She had just turned 18 - a prime age to accept proposals should they come her way. At least, that's what her mother had told her. Marry young and marry well, she had said, and you'll certainly live a happy life.    
 

 _We're so different from each other, we even have different definitions of 'happy',_ Alice thought bitterly. She wanted to say that during the carriage ride over, as her mother had said a version of the marry well speech, but she was in no mood to argue. So, as soon as the carriage doors opened, Alice had stormed out. But she knew she had to return eventually to the gathering.  
 

Alice quietly ducked over to the table her mother and sister were sat at. She took her seat, avoiding Helen's acidic glare as she directed her attention to the Ascots' table. The toast was made to commemorate the success of the Ascots' business, as well as the coming of age of their son, Hamish. Once that was done, Lord Ascot had prompted everyone to commence dancing. Alice stayed seated at her table however, and soon enough, the pestering began.  
 

During a one-sided conversation with a man her mother had introduced her to, Alice's eyes wandered around the party. They landed on a rather tall man by the dancing couples, who was dressed in clothes Alice had never seen before. He also sported a moustache and bushy mutton chops, along with having his dark hair in a bun. Alice abruptly excused herself from whatever boring tale was being told to her to approach the uniquely dressed patron.  
 

"Pardon me, but that's quite the outfit, sir," Alice remarked. To Time's surprise, the comment was not made in mockery, but with a hint of awe.  
 

He bowed. "Thank you."  
 

"It's much more interesting than what everyone else is wearing."  
 

"Are you Alice?" Time asked, although the question had no substance to it.  
 

"It seems as if you already know the answer to that," Alice said with a smile. It quickly faded, however, when she noticed her mother frantically apologising to the man she had left. "I assume you must know me because of my mother. You see, she's on a quest to find me a husband."  
 

"A husband? Now why would you of all people need one of those?" Time observed Alice's stunned expression with amusement. He had no idea of the workings of her world, but nonetheless, he would try the more subtle approach of calmly conversing with her. Hopefully it would triumph over his more urgent method.  
 

"I've been told it's not proper otherwise. That, and apparently you will suffer a fate similar to my Aunt Imogene," Alice explained with a huff. Time grimaced. He did not want to press her further. It was all a bit too confusing for him, anyway. He turned his attention back to the dancers. In this moment, they were nothing but colours swaying and twirling, moving in time to the soft melody in the air. He itched to join them, as he had not danced in forever. But this was a memory, conjured by a slowly fading consciousness. Somehow, he had to get to the point without scaring her off again.  
 

"Do you know who I am?"  
 

"I'm terribly sorry, but I don’t. I - I feel as if I should, though."  
 

"My name is -"  
 

"Alice? There you are!" Helen exclaimed, making a beeline for her. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I have news. Hamish has taken quite interest in you as of late -"  
 

"Mother, I'm speaking to this gentleman here. He was about to introduce himself," Alice cut in, gesturing to Time. Helen gave him a look of disdain as she fell silent.    
 

Time was oblivious to her reaction as he resumed his introduction. "I am Time. The infinite and immortal."  
 

Helen blinked. "I beg your pardon?"  
 

"I am a being that resides in a void of infinity. In a castle of -"  
 

"Come, Alice. You don't need any more silly ideas in your head," Helen snapped, and grabbed Alice by the arm.   
 

Not willing to let Alice slip away from her again, Time quickly jumped in. "We are in the Room of Remembrance, Alice."  
 

Alice's brows furrowed. "A room? But we're outside -"  
 

"No, we are in a castle in Underland. Where Chaos -"  
 

"We really should be going now," Helen interrupted once more. She tugged at Alice's arm, but her daughter stayed rooted to the spot.   
 

 _Underland is lost, Alice. There is only one thing left to do.  
_  

Alice flinched. Was that a voice in her head? It certainly wasn't her own. Did this voice have a name? She looked at the strange man in front of her. Was it his name?  
 

"I-I…" was all she could say. Something began to gnaw at her brain. An image forced its way to her eyes, but was too blurry to discern. A stream of words sat on the tip of her tongue, but were unable to be said. What was happening to her?

  
"Please. All I ask is for a moment to explain," he pleaded.   
 

 _A moment can be fleeting, or can be everlasting. Which will it be?  
_  

Her breath hitched in her throat. It was definitely his voice in her head. They had most certainly met before, but where?  
 

"Alice, are you really trusting this - this ridiculously dressed man?" her mother said while shaking her head in disbelief. Alice turned her attention back to Helen, and a strange feeling came over her. She felt something that wasn't there before, but… what was it? There was a tightening of her lungs. Tears threatening to stream down her cheeks. A twinge in her heart.  
 

 _You see, all things eventually come to an end.  
_  

Her mother's lips were moving, but Alice couldn't hear her anymore. Instead, she gazed intently at Helen's face, as if there was a possibility of never seeing it again. She noted every wrinkle on her skin, every greying strand of hair on her head, and every shade of red in her cheeks. But as she finally reached her mother's eyes… her mother's cold, dead eyes…  
 

"Alice? Are you alright?" Helen asked, slightly panicked. She moved to grab her daughter's hands, but as her bony fingers made contact, Alice pulled away.  
 

"You're not my mother," Alice managed.  
 

Helen looked as if she had just been slapped. "Excuse me?"  
 

"You're not Helen Kingsleigh. You're not my mother!" Alice yelled, stepping away from her. Helen immediately latched onto her wrists.  
 

"How dare you!"   
 

Alice cried out as Helen's grip tightened. Her mother's hands were as cold as metal. If she didn't know any better, she could have very well mistaken them for chains cutting off her circulation.   
 

"Stop - " Time began but found himself unable to move.  
 

"You're not real," Alice croaked. "I only see my mother when my eyes are closed."  
 

Helen's face twisted into a hideous look of hatred. "You killed me, Alice! It was all your fault! You killed me!"  
 

Alice's heart stopped.  
 

Over and over, her mother continued to repeat the sentence, and each time she said it, it felt like Alice was being whipped with a searing hot lash.  
 

"Don't listen! Ali-" Time was cut off. Alice tried to see if he was alright, but found that he had disappeared. Helen had also vanished into thin air.    
 

Suddenly, the light of the sky went out - and was replaced by swirling blacks and greys. Heavy rain fell, as if the heavens themselves had opened up and poured out every single tear shed for its inhabitants. Alice was immediately flung forwards, and managed to grab onto a thick wooden railing that had appeared in front of her. A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, lighting up the shroud of darkness. For a moment, Alice could see her surroundings clearly. She was on _the Wonder_.  
 

"No…" she breathed. Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the slippery wood. "This isn’t real. This isn't real…"  
 

The shouts and cries of the crew were swallowed by the roar of thunder above, and by the waves hammering relentlessly against the ship's hull. But one frantic voice managed to come through.  
 

"Alice, I must insist that you come inside."  
 

Alice spun around to see her mother emerge from within the cabin. She had not even been out a second and she was already drenched from head to toe.  
 

This was her mother - her _real_ mother - and this was the last time she saw her.  
 

Before Alice could even get a word in, her own voice rung loudly in her ears. _Mother, this ship won't survive the night if I hide away in my cabin. The crew needs me out here.  
_  

"No!" Alice desperately tried to drown out the voice with her own words. "Mother, please stay inside. Promise me that you will!"  
 

Helen continued, as if she didn't hear her. "This is the worst storm I've seen yet. The crew are scared out of their wits! Please, Alice. I just want you to be safe."  
 

 _No one is ever safe. Now, I must ensure that we come out of this storm in one piece. Go back inside.  
_  

"Don't listen! I'm coming inside, so just stay in the cabin," Alice begged. Oh, why did she have to foolishly feel like her captaincy was threatened by her own mother?  
 

Helen stormed past Alice, moving away from the cabin doors and marching up the stairs to the quarter-deck. It looked as if she was chasing a ghost. "Alice! Get back here this instant! Don't walk away from your mother!"  
 

 _Go back inside!  
_  

"What kind of mother would I be if I couldn't keep you safe? At least let me help out here!"  
 

 _You're too old for this, mother. Now that I think of it, I shouldn't have brought you on this journey. You would have been better off behind a desk back in -  
_  

"Brace yourselves!" the first mate bellowed. The shadowy figures around Alice had scrambled to latch themselves onto a fixed object. Helen, however, was still on the stairs, gobsmacked at what had been said to her.  
 

 _Mother!  
_  

"Mother!" Alice screamed. A gigantic wave had slammed straight into the side of the ship. The wash towered high into the air, and came crashing down onto the deck with the force of a thousand angry Gods.  
 

When the water finally cleared, Helen Kingsleigh was gone.  
 

Alice ran a shaky hand through her soaked hair.  
 

 _She'd fallen off.  
_  

The gaping hole in Alice's heart had grown even wider. Tears began to blend in with the rain streaming down her face. She didn't even feel her knees hit the wooden floor as she hugged herself and started to wail.  
 

 _It's true. She's gone and it's all because of me. It's all my fault.  
_  

"There is nothing left for you. Not in your world, and not in Underland," Chaos whispered into her ear. "But, you and I… we could start anew in your world. There would be no more worries, no more struggles, and most importantly," Chaos moved to stand in front of Alice and placed a hand on her wet cheek. "No more tears."  
 

"Then what are you waiting for?" Alice cried. Trembling, she managed to look up at Chaos' shadowy face.  
 

"I may have a hold of your physical body, but I am simply a visitor in your dwindling mind. You must let down your guard completely to allow me in," Chaos explained. "With all of these memories, you would not think of it as an issue. But alas, there are still walls to break down. Make this easy for me, Alice. Embrace me, and you will never have to feel anything ever again. I promise you this."  
 

Alice wanted nothing more than to accept the offer. After all, Chaos was right. She had truly lost everything, and it was all her fault. She had abandoned her friends, and she had been responsible for her own mother's death. What was even more sickening was that she had mentally blocked out the latter.  
 

 _How can I go on, when I know that I will never be happy again?_ Alice thought miserably.   
 

A momentary break in the clouds let the moon shine through, making the wet deck glisten. Alice was on the verge of giving her consent when the moonlight hit something metallic on the ground. Her eyes were automatically drawn to it, and she began to crawl towards the shiny object.  
 

It was her own pocket watch.  
 

Gingerly, she picked it up and opened it. The glass face bore a large crack that was similar to a spider's web, but the hands still seemed to tick on underneath.  
 

 _You never did tell me what happened to your father's watch. I thought you said you were going to have it fixed_?  
 

Alice's breath hitched. It was her mother's voice. Not surprisingly, she was battling to be heard through all the turmoil in her mind.  
 

"I passed it on to a friend of mine," Alice replied, deciding to talk along with the memory. She smiled through her tears as she did so. "It's in good hands now."   
 

 _Speaking of good hands, the Wonder is still in fabulous shape - and has even managed to touch almost every corner of the globe without major incident. Your father would be so proud of you, Alice. Just as I am.  
_  

"He'd be proud of the both of us. We’ve accomplished so much together, mother." Even as Alice plucked those words from her memory, she still spoke it with conviction.  
 

 _We have indeed. But, I would never have even dreamed of doing such a thing if it wasn't for you.  
_  

"Oh, surely not?"  
 

 _I'm serious. Don't ever change, Alice. I want you to go off and change the world instead - just as you have changed me. I love you, dear, and I always will.  
_  

"I'll always love you too, mother. I won't let you down," Alice breathed, clutching the pocket watch tightly against her chest.  
 

That conversation - Alice remembered very clearly - was had aboard _the Wonder_ in the Captain's quarters. Sunlight streamed in through the large windows at the stern of the ship while the pair had morning tea. Alice went to check her watch for the time, prompting Helen's remark about her father's watch. Then, as Helen gleefully and sincerely rambled on, Alice began to fill up with pride. Her mother had changed so much from when Alice was a young woman. In the end, she had believed in Alice when no one else did.  
 

A fire began to start in her heart as the Mad Tea Party flickered before her eyes.  
 

No, that wasn't quite true. In her own world, her mother was the only one who believed in her. In Underland, her friends all believed in her. They thought she could slay a dragon, and they thought she could turn back the hands of time and save the Mad Hatter and his family. She thought it impossible at first, but they were right.  
 

She couldn't give up on them now.  
 

"Who were you speaking to just then?" Chaos asked with slight amusement.  
 

"My mother."  
 

Chaos let out a dry chuckle. "Denial. It is truly a fickle of a thing. It only protects you for so long before the walls come tumbling down. Your mother is dead. Your precious Underland is lost. These are both facts. So, let us wrap this up quickly. Say yes, and I will save you from those crumbling walls."  
 

Alice looked Chaos directly in the eye as she stood up. "No. I don't need to be saved. I was a fool to let grief consume me for so long. I was also a fool to let you take advantage of that."  
 

"Grief? My dear, you have guilt and grief all mixed up. Guilt is a killer - something that you and it have in common."  
 

Alice shook her head. "Never again will I allow myself to forget what happened that night. It was a grave mistake. But, I will not let it rule over me. Mother wouldn't have wanted that. She would have wanted me to go on and live out a long and happy life."  
 

"Don't be so foolish. The past will not be kind to you, and it will never be done with you," Chaos warned.  
 

"Time can be kind as well as cruel. I understand that the past might not be done with me yet, but right now, I need to be done with it. For myself, for my friends, and for Underland. So let. Me. Go," Alice growled. Her whole body felt like it was on fire as she forced those last words out of her mouth.  
 

"What?! No!" Chaos shrieked, her voice piercing through Alice's skull.  
 

The swirling clouds and hammering rain quickly disappeared. The booming clap of the waves and the roaring thunder became silent. The _Wonder_ was long gone, and Alice found herself surrounded by stark white once more. Her legs buckled and she collapsed to the floor. She looked down in time to see the last of the dark smoke seep out of her body and pool in front of her.  
 

"No…" Chaos' meek voice came from the clump of smoke as it started to reform into a human shape. Cloudy black gas turned to pale white skin, and Chaos spun around frantically. "Where is the exit? Please! I cannot stay in here!"  
 

Her eyes then landed on the Chronosphere, which was a short distance away. She immediately scrambled for it.  
 

 _She's going to use it to escape,_ was the one thought that managed to overcome the intense pounding inside of Alice's head.  
 

Chaos' movements became sluggish as she grasped the golden orb and stood up. Her arm twitched, but did not arc to throw the Chronosphere. Instead, she stiffened, then slowly turned around to face Alice. A look of pure terror had seized the deity. But the fear in her eyes faded away as they began to glaze over.  
 

"Don't leave me here alone in the abyss again," she whimpered, before her mind passed into oblivion.  
 

 _Almost all of her memories would be of the abyss,_ Alice realised. Not very pleasant at all.  
 

Alice's legs felt like toothpicks as she stood upright to search for the exit. It was probably best to get moving, as she didn't know how long she had until she delved into her own memories again. With each step she took, the pounding in her head grew louder, making her feel dizzy. Finally, her legs gave out. But the ground did not rush up to meet her. A firm hand had grabbed Alice's arm, while another shot out in front of her to keep her upright. It took all of her strength to look up and see who had caught her.   
 

"Are you all right?" Time asked, examining her closely.  
 

Alice's head lolled in an attempt to nod.  
 

He gave her a look of concern as he removed his hand from her chest and clutched her wrist. tightly. With his other hand still on her arm, he guided her towards the door. Alice's light-headedness immediately got worse when her eyes readjusted to the dimly lit corridor. Time steadied her, then led her towards the wall opposite. There, he let her go and turned on his heel.  
 

"I'll be right back," he promised and entered the Room of Remembrance once more.  
 

Woozily, Alice leant against the wall and slid down to a sitting position. She followed Time with heavy eyes, watching as he approached Chaos with caution. She stood in a trance, and as he got closer, she appeared to be unfazed by his footsteps. The image of the prophetic scroll came to mind as Time finally came to a halt beside Chaos. His shoulders sagged slightly as he gently pried the Chronosphere from Chaos' paralysed hand. Leaning in, he then whispered something into her ear. They were just out of earshot, but judging from the pained look on his face, Alice could only guess he had said something along the lines of a long goodbye. As Time spun around and made his way back, he spotted something on the ground and picked it up. He then continued forwards just as Alice's eyes began to droop.  
 

XXX  
 

A warmth caressing Alice's exposed skin was the first thing she felt when she came to. She opened her eyes to see a fireplace with flames dancing gently to a silent tune. Her arms were draped over leather armrests, and her head was supported by the firm backrest. Her feet were also propped out close to the fireplace, with the heels of her boots resting against the carpet.  
 

Alice's fingers dug into the armrests as she sat upright.  
 

 _Was this another memory? Where was Chaos?  
_  

A million thoughts raced through her mind as her eyes darted around the cosy room. They landed on the empty chair across from her. She was alone in Time's sitting room.  
 

Alice took a deep breath and focused on her still trembling hands. What had happened in the Room of Remembrance came back to her. Underland was finally free from Chaos' clutches. She was safe, but what of her friends..?  
 

The door behind her creaked open, and Time entered. Seeing her upright and alert, he immediately rounded the tall armchair to face her.  
 

"You're awake," he said. "I'm sorry, I needed to step out and tend to the Grand Clock."  
 

"It's okay," Alice assured him.  
 

Time knelt in front of her, worry lining his features. "You do not look well, Alice."  
 

"I'm fine. I just need a moment."  
 

"You know my views on the definition of a moment, yes?"  
 

Alice cracked a smile. But he did not return the gesture. Instead, he lowered his gaze.  
 

"I must apologise for how I behaved. I am beside myself about how harsh I was to you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."  
 

Alice had to stop her jaw from dropping. "There's really no need for it. It was Chaos' doing, after all. I came under her influence too."  
 

"I understand. But regardless, there is no excuse for bad behaviour," Time said with a frown.     
 

"You know, I should be the one apologising. I followed you into Underland when I should have stayed put like you asked me to. I put your whole plan at risk, and I even put my own world at risk too!"   
 

"You did what you thought was right. My plan was simply a mercy upon the Underlings. But you believed we could do more than that. Even when Chaos was moments away from victory, you sacrificed yourself for a chance at defeating her," he remarked with admiration.  
 

"When I entered the Room of Remembrance, I wasn't thinking about sacrificing myself," Alice admitted with a heavy sigh. "I was being selfish. I did the one thing that I didn't think I was capable of…"  
 

Time cocked his head to the side. "And what would that be?"  
 

"I gave up. I just wanted to be happy one last time, that's all."  
 

Time pursed his lips at her words. She expected him to dismiss her confession, or to even say she was being too hard on herself, but he did neither of those things.  
 

"At first, that may have been true. But from where I was standing, it did not appear to be the case for long."   
 

"Thank you for that, by the way. You helped me a great deal in there."  
 

"You would have been lost forever if I did not intervene," he said grimly.  
 

"It's funny you mention that. You said to me if someone were to step inside that room, they would be lost deep within their own pleasant memories."  
 

"Yes, what of it?"  
 

"Well, they weren't all pleasant memories."  
 

Time paused for a moment. "Perhaps it was whatever those memories needed to be for you, if not pleasant." A brief look of remembrance crossed his face, and his hand flew to his breast pocket. "I believe you dropped this."  
 

In his hand was her pocket watch. Hesitantly, Alice took it.  
 

"Thank you."  
 

"Is something troubling you? Is it the watch? I can fix it if -"  
 

"No, no," Alice quickly stopped him. "It's… I let myself forget something rather terrible."  
 

"Oh." Time, watching Alice graze her thumb over the crack in the glass, was lost for words.  
 

"This will help me make sure that never happens again," she said quietly.  
 

Time coughed awkwardly. "After all this turmoil, I understand you probably want to return home. Come on, I will take you to the throne room," he offered, standing up and heading towards the door. Alice sighed, and went to follow him.  
 

XXX  
 

They entered the throne room to find a large circular pool of water. Alice cautiously wandered up to it, peering down into its dark depths. Suddenly, a pair of ethereal blue eyes appeared in the reflection, and Alice turned to see Time standing next to her.  
 

 _So it was him in the water looking up at me,_ Alice noted.  
 

"It may look unwelcoming, but you must keep swimming downwards. You will find that you will break water soon and be back in your world," Time explained.  
 

"I see..." Alice murmured.  
 

"The longer you stay here, the harder it will be to leave," he gently reminded her.  
 

"But that is exactly what I want. If I go back, I will be alone. I have been for quite some time now. But here…" Alice turned around to look at him. "Here, I have people that care for me and understand me. People that believe in me. The last person that felt that way in my world passed away three years ago."  
 

Time frowned. He understood her dilemma perfectly. Before Iracebeth, loneliness was all he ever knew. Walking along the empty corridors. Having no one to talk to. His miniscule artisans that he crafted had kept him preoccupied him for a while, but even then, they were not true company. But unlike her, he could not look towards the Underlandians he watched over. They were either ignorant of his existence, or were too frightened to pursue what tales they had heard of the personification of time itself. Time longed to change that, but sadly, he knew he could not stay in Underland for long to try.  
 

"My dear, you cannot stay and spend the rest of your days in Underland," Time said with a pained look.  
 

"Why not?"  
 

"Because I do not have a watch for you, nor can I make you one."  
 

Alice dove into her pocket and pulled out her pocket-watch.  
 

"But what about this?" she asked, holding it out for him.  
 

He didn't even look at it as he shook his head. "I'm afraid it will not do. Time passes differently here. You say it has been fifteen years since you last saw me?"  
 

"Yes, that's right."  
 

"For me, it has been one hundred."  
 

"Y-you have been alone for a hundred years?" Alice blurted.  
 

"Yes. Fifteen years is nothing. Yet, you have aged considerably. I dare not think about the next fifteen, or the fifteen after that."  
 

"I'm sorry, is that why you were looking at me oddly when you first brought me here?"  
 

"…Yes."  
 

"Right," Alice said. _Well, I got the answer in the end.  
_  

"Without a proper watch, you will not be attuned to our universe's flow of time," he explained with a sigh.  
 

"So I will die long before anyone else?"  
 

He nodded sadly, fixated on the glistening obsidian floor below him. A few silent moments passed between them, before Alice spoke.  
 

"I don't care."  
 

Time's eyes widened slightly as he lifted them to meet Alice's.  
 

"I don't care," she repeated with more conviction. "As long as I'm with the people I love, my short time here will feel like an eternity."  
 

Time gave a proud smile. "Well, if you're sure… Then I suppose you should go and see if everyone is still ticking, breathing, moving - whatever it is you Underlings prefer to do in your spare time."  
 

"So… I can stay?"  
 

"If you promise to be amusing -" Time began, but Alice shot him a glare. He quickly covered his pause up with a cough. "Which, you have proven to be, of course."  
 

"Will you come with me, then?"  
 

"No. I have much work to do. It is without end."  
 

Alice nodded in understanding; he did have to keep the universe ticking, after all.  
 

XXX  
 

At the Red Queen's old entrance, Time stopped just short of the door and turned to her. "Before you depart, promise me something."  
 

"Anything."  
 

"Will you spare me a thought, every now and again?" he asked, hands folding repeatedly in front of him.  
 

Alice was taken aback for a moment. Did he really think she was going to leave and forget about him all in an instant?   
 

"I can do you one better," Alice offered. "I'll come and visit, if you'd like."  
 

Time's face lit up with joy. "Really?"  
 

"Of course! Well, only if you want me to, that is."  
 

"I would very much like that," Time confirmed.  
 

Alice lingered at the door while Time waited politely. She peered into the room's dark depths before spinning around to face him again. "Do you recall saying that you would always remember me?"  
 

"I do," he said. "And I will stay true to that remark until the end."  
 

"Well, I've decided that I don't think I could ever forget you either - no matter how hard I may try," Alice poked with a grin.  
 

Time chuckled. "I do not know about that. Time escapes even myself sometimes…"  
 

After laughing along with him, Alice cleared her throat. "Farewell, then."  
 

"Until next time," Time said with a warm smile. "Thank you, Alice."  
 

Alice waved goodbye and entered the dark room. She passed through the glass door, and stepped out into Underland. Giving one last glance back at the old cottage she had emerged from, she set off into the woods, knowing she would be hopelessly lost. Despite her current predicament, however, a serenity fell over Alice.  
 

For the first time in her life, she had made the choice to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, all! Hope you enjoyed this story! I may tack on an epilogue if i can write it properly, so stay tuned for that. As always, comments/feedback are always welcome! :)


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time wanders his castle alone, and memories come and go.

_"Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me…" - Emily Dickinson._

_**Epilogue** _

Wandering amongst the rows of orderly arranged pocket-watches, Time glided his mechanical hand over each until he came to an empty chain.

"Ah," he murmured, carefully attaching the recently stopped watch he held to the chain. "Sleep well. You have earned your rest."

He bowed his head for a moment, joining the sombre silence of the room. Then, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the exit.

Death was a natural part of life. Time understood that well enough. But that didn't mean he had to enjoy what he did. In fact, it was the least enjoyable part of his never-ending job. Sometimes, he wanted to give it up. But if he didn't do it, then who else would?

He remembered a time when closing those watches didn't bother him much. If it wasn't for one yellow-haired kindergartener, he would have continued to not be bothered by it. At first, it was because he knew that one day, it would be Alice's watch closing. She didn't have a watch per se, but he could certainly imagine its loud ticks suddenly ceasing, and its casing clipping shut for the last time. Then, as Alice became more of a presence in his solitary life, so too did some of the other Underlandians. Alice's friends and acquaintances all steadily creeped into his tiny world one by one. Soon enough, the Underlandians were no longer ignorant of his existence, nor were they frightened of him. And it all happened without even leaving his castle. It all happened because of Alice.

As his mind drifted, his legs started up of their own accord, and took him down the hall.

XXX

_Alice had only ever seen so many distraught faces once before, and it was when her best friend, Tarrant Hightopp, was close to death. It was heart-wrenching to see all of her friends like this once more, but it touched her deeply that they cared so much about her. Here she lay, taking her final haggard breaths in a small bedroom, surrounded by those she loved. Old age had found her rather quickly compared to every other Underlandian, but it was to be expected. Around her, each of her friends had only aged a fraction of what she had. A few lines here and there on their faces, but nothing more. They had plenty of time left._

_Tarrant, whose finest hat had been removed and placed on the bedside table, cradled Alice's bony hand. Ever so gently, he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. There was nothing more to be said between them. They had told each other everything they wanted to say. All the Hatter could do now was be by her side until she closed her eyes for the last time._

_Beside the Hatter, Mallymkun sat atop Bayard's head, patting him slowly. Both wept silently._

_Further down, the Tweedles hugged each other, muttering to one another to comfort each other._

_On the other side of the bed, the White Rabbit and the March Hare stood unmoving in solemn silence. It was unlike them, as both were nervous creatures - one more so than the other._

_Even the elusive Cheshire Cat had appeared briefly. Along with his own condolences and final words, he came bearing Absolem's, too._

_And finally, at the foot of her bed stood Mirana and Iracebeth. Between them, a young woman - almost the spitting image of Mirana when she was younger - stood. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and the two women either side of her hugged her a little tighter. It never ceased to amaze Alice how people change over time. Here were two regal sisters of Underland, who, in the past, had butted heads with one another and had polar opposite opinions of Alice. It made sense, of course, as she had always stood beside Mirana in their ongoing conflict. But once the feuding sisters had made amends, Iracebeth's poor opinion of Alice deteriorated. And over time, Iracebeth's changed nature had led her to being gradually accepted into the group of friends that all stood around her bed._

_Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard just outside the bedroom. Everyone turned, puzzled, and with one thought on their mind._

_Who it could be?_

_A large shoulder pad popped into the doorway, followed by a tall, black, cylindrical hat. The rest of Time's large frame finally squeezed through the door. His features were stoic as he briefly examined the room and its occupants' stunned expressions._

_"Please, give us a moment," Alice told Hatter._

_He nodded in response and let go of her hand. Everyone slowly piled outside and into the sitting room._

_Time lingered near the door. It pained him to see her frail frame bundled up under thick bedsheets. Time wept for no mortal, but in that very moment, he was willing to make an exception._

_"And they say Time stands still for no one," she poked. In truth, she did not expect Time to show at all, since it took a truly exceptional circumstance to get him to leave his castle. Alice knew this all too well, as she had been that exceptional circumstance once._

_He cracked a smile as he finally approached the bed._

_"Are those lovely Seconds of yours keeping shop while you make this visit?"_

_"Yes," he managed._

_"Good. They're hard little workers, aren't they?"_

_When he didn't say anything, Alice continued._

_"You and I both knew this was coming. You slipped with each passing year from my grasp, until you soared, and I could not. That is your nature."_

_"Today, I dearly wish that it was not." Time took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I was not fast enough. If only I had more of myself to spend, I could have found a way to attune you."_

_"It doesn't matter. Truly. I've treasured every precious second I was allowed here."_

_Time closed his eyes. He could feel the lump in his throat grow bigger with each passing moment._

_"Here," said Alice, slipping something solid into his gloved hand. "This belongs to you now."_

_His eyes flickered open, and he peered down at what she had given him. It was her old pocket watch._

_Holding onto it tightly, Time looked up. "Thank you for your company."_

_Alice simply smiled at Time. He pocketed the watch, then gave her hand a gentle squeeze._

_"Goodbye, Alice. Sleep well," he said and stood up._

_After a moment, Alice finally let go of his hand. "Farewell."_

_His legs felt like sticks as he exited the bedroom to where the rest of Alice's friends waited quietly. Before any of them could approach and console him, Time hurried over to Alice's grandfather clock and stepped through it, allowing the darkness to swallow him whole._

_He did not know how long he stood alone in that pitch-black room. It could have been eternity for all he knew, and yet, he didn't care if that were true._

XXX

The crackling of the embers dancing in the fireplace snapped Time back to his surroundings. He gazed around the parlour absently, before his eyes landed on two pocket watches atop the mantelpiece. One was silver, the other was gold.

Ever so carefully, he picked up the golden one and read its inscription.

"Alice," he lamented.

Unclasping the case, Time opened it to see the familiar crack in the glass face. The hands behind the glass had long since stopped, and the soothing ticking sound had gone silent. He had briefly considered placing it in the Underlandians' Deceased room. But he knew Alice's watch could never be hung in alphabetical order and stowed away in a graveyard of stopped pocket watches. No. Alice's story would be etched in Time's memory for eternity, and having her watch in the parlour would make sure of that.

XXX

_Time stood in a trance; his head at an angle as he listened for the tell-tale sign of a recently stopped watch._

_All he could hear was endless ticking, and the slight whir of the tiny gears inside of him._

_The sounds of life._

_Satisfied, he strolled back down the elegant walkway. No one would have to die today._

_As he neared the gates, an ecstatic Second came into view. Shaped like a kettle, the Second tooted a tiny puff of steam as Time approached._

_"Yes? What is it?"_

_Time crouched down. It shook uncontrollably, knocking his shin with the long pipe that stuck out of its face. It then hopped away, beckoning for him to follow._

_"This better be important," Time muttered to himself._

_With Time in tow, the Second scrambled through the gigantic castle. Finally, they came to one of the grandfather clock entrances._

_At the foot of the staircase leading up to the entrance, Alice Kingsleigh waited patiently._

_"Alice!"_

_"Time," she greeted with a smile. "How are things?"_

_"All is well. I trust the same can be said for you?"_

_"I couldn't be better," Alice replied._

_Time gestured to the walkway behind him. "Would you like to continue our chess game in the parlour?"_

_"I'm terribly sorry, but today my visit will be short. I have the White Princess's birthday party to attend after this."_

_"Ah, I see. They grow up quite quickly," he remarked, clasping his hands behind his back._

_"It wasn't long ago when she was the height of your Second here," Alice said, bending down to greet the excited mechanical being. "Now she's the same height that I was when I first visited Underland. Well, my height before I started eating magical treats."_

_As Time listened to her ramble slightly, it dawned on him that he had never once inquired as to how a mortal from another realm entirely could find themselves here._

_"How did you ever happen upon Underland? And as a child, no less?" Time asked, curiosity laced in his voice._

_Alice stood up. A grin promptly spread across her face. "Well, a long time ago, I was sitting on a riverbank with my sister. I was extremely bored when suddenly, I saw a rabbit…"_

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, thank you so much for reading this fic! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)


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